MPH-VPH student focused on vector-borne diseases in marginalized communities
As a future veterinary public health professional, Tahirah Jones is passionate about the complex connections between human, animal and environmental health. She has gained valuable insights into disease surveillance, outbreak prevention and the economic impact of foreign animal diseases—pathogens that can travel with livestock, wildlife or animal products, presenting new threats here in the U.S.
Jones, a second-year student in the veterinary public health program, reflects on how her background in environmental health and her commitment to health equity has shaped her career goals and inspired her to address health disparities in marginalized communities.
What inspired you to pursue a graduate degree in veterinary public health?
During my undergraduate studies, I studied health disparities in North Carolina rural communities concerning industrial agriculture and was interested in how environmental health and veterinary health intersect with public health. I started learning about the One Health approach and how the environment, animals and people are interconnected.
What are the specific issues or areas you’re most passionate about?
I am most passionate about the study of vector-borne diseases in marginalized communities and how social determinants of health and health disparities play a role in these populations.
You’ve had internships with the Ohio Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. How have these experiences shaped your interests?
Being an animal and plant health inspection service animal health technician has shaped my interests by educating me about national epidemiology and surveillance plans that focus on animal diseases. I learned about the economic repercussions of foreign animal diseases and the fieldwork needed to mitigate, control and prevent these diseases from entering the United States. I also gained a fondness for outreach and communication.
As an environmental health equity fellow, you supported access to health care and environmental justice priorities. Can you tell us about how you see health equity fitting into veterinary public health?
Health equity fits into veterinary public health by making sure all people have access to the opportunity to be healthy and receive quality, affordable care regardless of socioeconomic status, gender, race or ethnicity. I wish more people understood the historical context of public health, animal health and environmental justice, specifically for Black and brown people in the United States. The work that needs to be done cannot be superficial but needs to identify and address how other social determinants can impact this interconnectedness such as systemic and environmental racism, governmental mistrust, stigma and generational trauma.
What are some of your long-term professional goals in public health?
My long-term professional goal is to work in the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. I also would like to continue engaging with marginalized communities to help educate and bring awareness to zoonotic and vector-borne diseases.
What do you enjoy most about being a student at the College of Public Health?
I enjoy the abundance of career and academic opportunities that I can take advantage of in the College of Public Health. The access to an in-depth and diverse network of public health professionals, such as PhD students and professors, has been wonderful. The CPH core courses are engaging, promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and are vital to building a foundational public health education. There are various opportunities for professional development and to grow as a student within CPH, such as public speaking engagements and attending keynote speaker events that discuss relevant issues in public health and safety.
