#WeAreEmoryEPI: Meet Maddy Lewis

Maddy is a second-year MPH student interested in infectious disease epi and is involved in research with Emory’s vaccine clinic. In our conversation, she shared some nuggets of advice for younger public health students and told us about her popular TikTok page!

Tell us a little bit about your academic history/where you went to school.

I studied biology as an undergraduate at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

What are your primary research interests?

I am primarily interested in infectious disease epidemiology.

Are there any exciting projects that you are currently working on that you’d like to share with us?

I got connected to a new research project at Emory’s vaccine clinic studying the effects of the vaccine reactions which occur in the 15 or 30-minute monitoring period after patients receive their vaccines. Although this study is still in the early stages, I have already gained amazing experience in helping design, implement, and manage a research project from the very beginning.

What is your favorite part about earning your MPH at Emory?

My favorite part of Emory has been the professional experiences I was able to gain as a graduate student. Emory has so many connections within public health.

What advice do you have for 1st year MPH Students?

The best advice I can give is to try to build up a professional network authentically. Instead of forming connections for the sake of networking, build relationships naturally with others through volunteering, shared interests, or work. Because I was able to do this, my network is able to speak to my abilities and talents much better, which helped me find a full-time job before graduation.

As first-year students start to look for their APE positions, do you have any tips for finding a practicum?

A lot of Rollins students go in thinking they want to do research. Don’t be afraid to try out applied epidemiology at somewhere like Georgia Department of Public Health!

When applying, what were you looking for in a public health school, and what factors drove you towards Rollins?

I knew that if I went to Rollins, I would have access to the most opportunities and people in public health. Atlanta really is the world’s public health capital.

How have you been navigating the work (& learn) from home experience during the COVID-19 outbreak?

At first, I hated working from home. After about 3 months, I adjusted and realized I never wanted to go back into office full-time. As long as you are able to know when to stop working, work from home works really well for so many people.

What are three fun facts that you want people to know about you?

I have 18k followers on my TikTok (@maddy.epidemiology) where I discuss public health, epidemiology, race, and other topics. Other fun facts are that I am allergic to cats and am looking for a roommate in August.

Thanks to Maddy for chatting with us this week! If you want to follow her, head to her TikTok page for great public health content!