Introduction
Hi, everyone, was very nice to meet some of you during the orientation.
My name is Long Lai, I am from California. I am currently pursuing my MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Tufts University. My career choice in public health solidified when I traveled to Vietnam on a medical mission and was tasked to conduct a needs assessment in a remote mountainous village for the high incidence of food-borne related illnesses. From that assessment, we developed a health education program for hand-washing and food-handling practices referencing our State's food regulations. The results were a wonderful melding of work, fun, and connecting with people of a different culture. I think that is a unique aspect of being a field public health scientist.
Upon coming home, I worked as a Disease Intervention Specialist responding to the Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis outbreak in my hometown of Fresno, California. I learned a lot, but my main takeaway was connecting with people and communities. I am now trained in Environmental Sciences and have experience in consumer protection, liquid waste, and wastewater. Through my accumulated experiences and meeting different individuals, I am very interested in wastewater epidemiology and the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service. I strive to learn more about how I can give back to my communities and country. I love that you are all here advancing and pushing the boundaries of the field. I welcome, invite, and look forward to learning and serving alongside everyone here!
-Long Lai
LaiTLong@gmail.com
http://linkedin.com/in/long-lai
My name is Long Lai, I am from California. I am currently pursuing my MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Tufts University. My career choice in public health solidified when I traveled to Vietnam on a medical mission and was tasked to conduct a needs assessment in a remote mountainous village for the high incidence of food-borne related illnesses. From that assessment, we developed a health education program for hand-washing and food-handling practices referencing our State's food regulations. The results were a wonderful melding of work, fun, and connecting with people of a different culture. I think that is a unique aspect of being a field public health scientist.
Upon coming home, I worked as a Disease Intervention Specialist responding to the Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis outbreak in my hometown of Fresno, California. I learned a lot, but my main takeaway was connecting with people and communities. I am now trained in Environmental Sciences and have experience in consumer protection, liquid waste, and wastewater. Through my accumulated experiences and meeting different individuals, I am very interested in wastewater epidemiology and the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service. I strive to learn more about how I can give back to my communities and country. I love that you are all here advancing and pushing the boundaries of the field. I welcome, invite, and look forward to learning and serving alongside everyone here!
-Long Lai
LaiTLong@gmail.com
http://linkedin.com/in/long-lai
Great to meet you in the breakout. I noticed you mentioned your interest and experience in wastewater. Over here at the Tennessee Department of Health, within the COVID-19 program, we just started setting up wastewater surveillance throughout the state. We developed a new position and hired a Wastewater Epidemiologist to start enrolling sites to participate in the data collection process. Very early stages currently, but it would be great to learn more about your experiences. At the moment we are enrolling new sites, monitoring COVID-19 concentration levels, and identifying variant proportions. Eventually the goal is to expand and use wastewater as a new tool to investigate all sorts of viruses and bacteria spreading in our communities.
-Bryan Boyle