Elle Elson
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Graduate Research Associate, MPH- Epidemiology, second-year
Elle brings their background in psychology and environmental studies from the University of Cincinnati to their Health Disparity research at the Practice and Science for LGBTQ Health Equity Lab.
What makes you passionate about addressing health disparities in your research?
LGBTQ+ individuals are frequently underrepresented as the subject of research, but more importantly as the researchers. Using my experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m passionate about making inclusive research questions and digestible communication of research literature. Advocating for Health Equity is my primary career goal and I’m grateful to be working with my own community in academia.
What advice would you give to students pursuing public health?
The public health field finally has a spotlight from the impacts of a global pandemic. Now is a great time to give public health the recognition it deserves, as we typically fly “under the radar” in society. A well-functioning public health system doesn’t have to be invisible, nor should it be. As an interdisciplinary field, there are countless opportunities to explore, such as: health disparities advocacy, infectious disease prevention, health care access, and improved health communication. In a public health career, you will always be learning something new. But most importantly, you can’t take care of others unless you are taking care of yourself. After all, you make up part of public health, too!
How do you spend your time outside of academia?
Spending time outside in nature is the best medicine! But most of the time you can find me snuggled up with a science fiction book and my emotional support cat, Pumpkin.