As a part of our recruitment efforts, we (The Harvard Chan Biological Sciences PhD admissions committee) are hosting a series of career events. Please share this email with your networks widely! Students from HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions are encouraged to attend (and hopefully apply)!!!
You and your networks are invited to attend a virtual panel on "Careers in Research for Public Health" hosted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
This panel is for anyone who is curious about what it means to take on a career in public health with a research angle!
When/Where: Thursday October 3, from 4:15-5:15 EDT on Zoom
Register here to get the Zoom link: https://bit.ly/HSPH-career-panel
If you can't attend but want to hear about future career events, please add your name here.
What: The event will include discussion with three panelists who each use biology or epidemiology research to advance public health and health equity. We will begin with a Q&A discussion in which each panelist will describe their career path and current area of work. During the last 15 minutes, attendees will be able to join a mentoring break out room with one of the three panelists to continue to ask career or research questions.
Who can attend: Anyone! We are targeting the questions towards undergrads and others considering next career steps but welcome attendees at any career stage.
The speaker biographies are below. Please email Deepali Ravel (Deepali_Ravel@hms.harvard.edu) with any questions. We look forward to seeing you!
Panelist Biographies:
Bizu Gelaye, Ph.D., is a senior investigator and chief of the Epidemiology Branch in the Division of Population Health Research. His research focuses on: understanding the role preconception and perinatal psychosocial exposures (e.g., trauma exposure) play in shaping short- and long-term maternal and offspring health outcomes; studying how biological, molecular, environmental, social, and structural factors impact prematurity, particularly among racial and ethnic groups; and identifying evidence-based solutions that promote health equity and improve outcomes in maternal and child health through prevention, early diagnostics, therapeutics, and/or policy change. Before joining NICHD, Dr. Gelaye was a faculty member in the departments of epidemiology and psychiatry at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Gelaye received his doctoral and master’s degrees in epidemiology from the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle.
Dr. Corbett uses her viral immunology expertise to propel novel vaccine development for pandemic preparedness, including mRNA-1273, a leading vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine concept incorporated in mRNA-1273 was designed by Dr. Corbett's NIH team from viral sequence and rapidly deployed to industry partner, Moderna, Inc., for Phase 1 clinical trial, which unprecedently began only 66 days from viral sequence release. mRNA-1273 was shown to be 94.1% effective in Phase 3 trial and is authorized for use in multiple countries. Alongside mRNA-1273, Dr. Corbett boasts a patent portfolio which also includes universal coronavirus and influenza vaccine concepts and novel therapeutic antibodies. In all, she has over 15 years of experience studying dengue virus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, and coronaviruses, garnering several prestigious awards, such as the Benjamin Franklin Next Gen Award and the Salzman Memorial Award in Virology. Combining her research goals with her knack for mentorship, Dr. Corbett invests much of her time in underserved communities as an advocator of STEM education and vaccine awareness.
Jessalyn Ubellacker grew up in Lexington, Kentucky where she completed her B.S. and M.P.H degrees (University of Kentucky, 2011). She earned an M.A. in Medical Science (Boston University, 2013) prior to earning her Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (Harvard Medical School, 2017). During her doctoral training, she investigated the influence of the microenvironment on breast cancer metastasis in the lab of Dr. Sandra S. McAllister. Jessalyn completed her postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Dr. Sean J. Morrison at the Children’s Research Institute (UT Southwestern, 2021). During her postdoctoral training, she discovered that melanoma cells in lymph nodes experience less oxidative stress and form more metastasis than melanoma cells in the blood. Jessalyn’s work suggests initial metastasis through lymph nodes allows the cells to survive subsequent metastasis through the blood by protecting cancer cells from lipid reactive oxygen species.https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/profile/jessalyn-ubellacker/
