From left: Winners Saarim Qureshi, MPH, Annum Jaffer, MPH, Tina Chen, MPH, and Program Director Dania Valvi, MPH, PhD, MPH
Public Health Research Day, hosted by the Graduate Program in Public Health, recently celebrated student research from the master’s programs in the Department of Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The event, held Thursday, May 21, began with two keynote speakers who are both alumni of Mount Sinai. The first was Hannah Thompson, MD, MPH, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and physician at the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health. Dr. Thompson specializes in occupational medicine and care for patients in the World Trade Center Health Program. She earned her Master of Public Health through Mount Sinai’s MD/MPH training pathway.
The second keynote speaker was Kshitij Sachdev, MS, a graduate of the Master of Science in Epidemiology program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is currently pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Iowa. His academic and research interests focus on epidemiology, environmental health, and population-based public health research, with experience contributing to interdisciplinary studies on environmental exposures and disease risk.
In his address, Dr. Thompson told the students that her MPH training gave her insight into public health, policy, and environmental medicine, which are all areas not included in her medical education. She also mentioned that working in public health provides a strong sense of purpose that is inspiring.
Mr. Sachdev explained how his training in the Master of Science in Epidemiology program prepared him to advance to a PhD program. He also emphasized the importance of networking in this industry and reminded the students that Mount Sinai is a great place to make connections. Students were able to ask both speakers questions about their experiences.
The students then moved on to their lightning round presentations. Each student had two minutes to present a high-level overview of their research to our faculty, their peers, and prospective students. Faculty members scored the students based on criteria about the presentations.
The next stage of the event featured students presenting their research on posters in the Annenberg lobby. Other students, prospective students, and members of the Mount Sinai community gathered to see what our students created. There were lively discussions as participating students proudly explained their work.
“My professor, Mayaan Yitshak-Sade, taught me how pollution negatively impacts health outcomes over time if not addressed. This encouraged me to learn more about this and to help others understand the long-term health effects of pollution,” said Bahra Aldolapour, a Master of Science in Epidemiology student.
Trang Dao, a Master of Public Health student, recommends taking advantage of connection opportunities at Mount Sinai.
“Get out there and speak to faculty while you’re a student. Your interests matter, and you never know who you could end up working with on research,” she said. “For example, I was able to utilize data from Mount Sinai for my research about cultural barriers to cervical care screening among East and Southeast Asian women in the U.S. There are so many opportunities for cross collaboration at Mount Sinai.”
“I’m sad that the program is nearly over. Working with my cohort and the faculty at Mount Sinai has been incredible. My time here has inspired me to continue expanding access to care for ALS patients, and I look forward to staying involved in this community,” said Justice-Keith Little, a Master of Health Administration student.
The day ended with faculty giving out awards to students based on their presentation scores. The winners included:
- Best Abstract: Tina Chen, MPH
- Best Online Oral Presentation: Annum Jaffer, MPH
- Best In-Person Poster Presentation: Saarim Qureshi, MPH