Author: Elle Elson

Meet the Lab – Dr. Megan Roberts

| Elle Elson

Dr. Megan Roberts 

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Title: Associate Professor, OSU College of Public Health

Dr. Megan Roberts is an Associate Professor of Public Health at The Ohio State University. Her research focuses on tobacco use among populations historically targeted by the tobacco industry–particularly adolescents and young adults, racial/ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals living in rural areas.

What was a memorable experience of your public health career?

I supported the restriction on flavored tobacco products that was recently passed in our city of Columbus, OH. A lot of public health equity advocates worked very hard to make this happen: working with key community stakeholders, garnering support from the public, and providing testimony to the City Council. It was really exciting to watch the process unfold, but also nerve-racking because of the strong industry opposition!

What advice would you give to students pursuing public health? 

Public health is so incredibly broad, so take time to find an area that is the right fit for you. Working or volunteering with public health faculty or public health organizations is a great way to experience different environments.

Follow her on Instagram! @meganroberts_osu

Meet the Lab – Monica Stanwick

| Elle Elson

Monica Stanwick (She/Her/Hers)

Research Assistant, MPH- Health Behavior & Health Promotion, second-year

I grew up in southeastern Ohio on the border of West Virginia, and I attended Marshall University where I earned a B.S. in biology. I came by public health in a winding sort of way, but I am really excited to begin my MPH and start working in the areas of food insecurity and eating disorder prevention.

What drew you to a public health education? 

A few years ago, I became fascinated by the treatment-heavy perspective of the US healthcare system, and I started to question why we didn’t focus more on prevention of disease in the first place. Around the same time, I began to volunteer with food rescue organizations working to simultaneously reduce food waste and food insecurity, and I got really interested in eating disorders and nutrition. I happily discovered public health was the intersection at which all my interests could meet!

What makes you passionate about addressing health disparities in your research? 

What are your goals for the future? I’m not 100% sure what I want to do after my MPH, but I think I might be interested in pursuing a PhD in public health. Whether I stay in academia or not, I want to be involved in reducing food insecurity and/or reducing prevalence of eating disorders. I think I’ll be happy doing any kind of prevention and promotion, work, though!

How do you spend your time outside of academia? 

Outside of academia, I like to read (everything from Harry Potter to Greek myth retellings to Stephen King to memoir), exercise (I ride in Pelotonia! Come ride with me!), try new restaurants and coffee shops, go thrifting, bake, and spend time with my family and friends.

Gender Euphoria and The Gym

| Elle Elson

Gender Affirming Workouts

Interested in learning more? Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084BA8A628A6FAC61-44794183-gender

Rory O’Malley: omalley.172@osu.edu

Bigger chest and wider back

  • Barbell (or Dumbbell) bench press​
  • Chest flies​
  • Incline bench press​
  • Lat pull-downs​
  • Lat pull-overs​
  • Barbell bent over rows​
  • Single arm seated row​
  • Pull-ups

Bigger shoulders and defined biceps

  • Dumbbell shoulder press​
  • Lateral raises​
  • Overhead barbell press​
  • Incline dumbbell curls​
  • Pronated dumbbell curls​
  • Hammer curls

Defined quadriceps and hamstrings

  • Barbell back (or front) squat​
  • Leg extension machine​
  • Heel-elevated goblet squat​
  • Walking lunges​
  • Barbell deadlift​
  • Hamstring curl machine

Workout Social Media Accounts

Kelly Haines

Luck Bianca

Quel Theodosopoulos

Miles Alexander

 

Meet the Lab – Ashley Meadows

| Elle Elson

Ashley Meadows (she/her/hers)

Graduate Research Assistant, MPH – Epidemiology, second-year

I grew up in Maineville, Ohio and I lived about 5 minutes from Kings Island.  I love thrill hobbies, I’ve gone to several theme parks to ride roller coasters, gone sky diving, and been human catapulted backwards into a lake.  One of my bucket list items is to go to every theme park in the US.

What drew you to a public health education? 

I was drawn to public health because I want to help educate the public about ways they can help keep themselves and their loved ones safe.  I am a big believer in education instead of forcing someone to make healthy decisions.  Without breaking down why something could be an important change in lifestyle, it’s impossible to get individuals on board with your ideas.  

What makes you passionate about addressing health disparities in your research? 

I am passionate about health equity and leveling the playing field for all people.  So discovering why some minority marginalized groups are experiencing greater health disparities than others is a big drive in my research.   

How do you spend your time outside of academia? 

While I am in school, I spend a lot of my free time going on walks, hikes, and roller skating. Outside of being in school I like to travel to other states and try local foods!  

What advice would you give to students pursuing public health? 

Public health is a huge diverse major.  The beauty of public health is that we are needed in an enormous amount of various places.  Don’t be afraid to branch out and talk to a wide range of people who are looking into public health, because there are so many paths to explore you can find something here that you are truly passionate about.  Don’t put yourself in a small box, be open to the large array of possibilities public health has to offer.   

 

Meet the Lab – Dr. Brittney Keller-Hamilton, MPH

| Elle Elson

Dr. Brittney Lee Keller-Hamilton, MPH

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Title: Assistant Professor, OSU Division of Medical Oncology

Dr. Keller-Hamilton has published more than 10 papers with PS LGBTQ P.I., Dr. Joanne Patterson. Dr. Keller-Hamilton is an epidemiologist and assistant professor at OSU’s College of Medicine. Her primary research interest is reducing health disparities that are caused by tobacco use.

What was a memorable experience of your public health career?

  • I always love to hear positive feedback from our research participants—that they quit or cut down on their smoking, enjoyed interacting with our research team, or appreciated the opportunity to contribute to cancer research.

What advice would you give to students pursuing public health?

  • Look for opportunities to apply what you learned in the classroom. This helps the concepts stick!

Meet the Lab – Alysha Caine Ennis

| Elle Elson

Alysha Caine Ennis, MPH (she/her/hers)

Title: Researcher 1

5/2/2023

I’m the staff researcher on the PS Health Equity team, and a recent graduate of the Master of Public Health program at OSU. I mostly grew up in Texas, but have also lived in Arizona, Georgia, and most recently Brooklyn, New York before moving to Columbus, Ohio in 2019! My research interests include LGBTQ+ health disparities and sexual and reproductive health.

What drew you to a public health education?

I have a slightly non-traditional background, my undergraduate degree is a BFA in Fashion Design! I was drawn to Public Health because after several years of working in fashion and graphic design I wanted to pivot to a career that addressed equity and social justice, but that had several options for career paths. The Black Lives Matter movement coinciding with COVID-19 also influenced my decision to pursue a career tackling the social determinants of health and health disparities.

How do you spend your time outside of academia?

I have a pretty full household with a dog (Ellie), cat (Marcie) and brand-new baby (Mia)! I love taking walks with my family through my neighborhood and listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Besides walking, yoga is my favorite form of exercise. I also love meeting friends for dinner and drinks and exploring new places in Columbus.

What advice would you give to students pursuing public health?

Be open to your research interests and flexible with the type of career path you might take. Public health can open you to a surprisingly diverse number of opportunities if you keep your mind open to the types of opportunities you might be interested in! I took a GRA position in tobacco research even though I didn’t think of tobacco research as one of my passions, but that lead me to the PS Health Equity lab where I am able to combine my experience of tobacco research with one of my public health passions, LGBTQ+ equity!

Meet the Lab – Emma Jankowski

| Elle Elson

Emma Jankowski (she/her) 

Undergraduate Research Assistant, BSPH in Public Health Sociology, Minor in Public Policy, Graduating May 2023 

2/21/2022 

Emma is a senior studying public health – sociology with a minor in public policy from Cleveland, Ohio. Her public health interest is analyzing the impact of policy decisions on historically marginalized populations.
 

What drew you to a public health education? 

I was drawn to a public health education through a high school internship at the Cleveland Clinic, where I helped to facilitate their school-based health mobile unit. I saw first-hand the disparities in health that arise just from one’s zip code or skin color, and became passionate about being a part of the change we need to make. I hope to become an epidemiologist, working in policy research.  

What are your goals for the future? 

I want to analyze policies and programs and help to improve them so all people have equal access and outcomes.  

What advice would you give to students pursuing public health? 

To students pursuing public health, I want to say that you are pursing one of the most rewarding and challenging programs at Ohio State. Keep at it and ask for help when you need it. Everyone around you is rooting for you to succeed.