Emma Kate Sellers

I grew up in Atlanta, GA and decided to attend UAB, because they were one of the only universities in the South to offer a bachelor’s-level public health degree. While at UAB, I also completed a Spanish for Specific Purposes Certificate, Graduate Global Health Certificate, and MPH in the Department of Health Policy & Organization. Up until this point, my focus in public health has been migrant & refugee healthcare. I was first exposed to the field of public health when my dad pursued his MPH while I was in middle school. I thought it was so interesting that there was a field aiming to answer the “why” behind certain health challenges. I love that public health is interdisciplinary, and I’m able to combine my passions for social justice, education, and health within this field. Through this fellowship, I hope to learn more about governmental public health systems and improve my health communication skills.

Within the Dengue Branch, I am a part of the Communications Team, which is responsible for both internal and external communication at the branch. I am a Health Education fellow, and my projects will be focused on making information about preventing dengue more accessible to the public. One project is a “train the trainer” collaboration with the Puerto Rico Department of Health to better equip health educators with information about dengue. The branch is currently providing funding and technical support for a Wolbachia project in El Salvador, and I will assist with tracking community buy-in. I am really looking forward to both projects and any other work the communications team has for me!