Kathleen Cunningham

How have you contributed to one of CDC’s priorities through your ASPPH/CDC Fellowship assignment? Explain what you have done that has “made a difference” at CDC and benefitted public health in the United States.

I am still new, so much of my work has focused on researching and gathering information in order to brief policy makers on important public health topics. This is critical to forming well informed public health policies, monitoring evolving situations, and ensuring up to date research is guiding our actions. A lot of the information I am looking into will help guide our approach to global pandemic preparedness in the future.

How will your fellowship experience shape your career?

This fellowship has given me a great introduction to what things are like at the federal level, and what aspects go into policy making and global interactions. This knowledge will help me wherever I end up, because I’ll have an understanding of how to positively impact public health upstream and down. I’ve also met a lot of wonderful people who give me insight into different areas of public health and government, and I hope we stay in touch and are able to work together in the future as well.

Describe specifically some of the relationships/partnerships you have built through the fellowship and how those relationships have helped/will help you in your career.

My office has been wonderful, bringing me into a variety of different arenas and answering all my questions, sending me further resources and so on. I know that I could call on them in the future to provide useful perspectives on public health topics and direct me to resources that could help me achieve my goals.