Man-fang Liang

What does public health mean to you?

Public health is a science with a variety of specialties, an aggregate of individuals and knowledge. No one can be excluded from public health. Through research and practice of interventions of public health practitioners, population health can be improved from all aspects of life.

What inspired you to study public health?

The passion in biostatistics has inspired me to study public health. By studying biostatistics, I can compile and analyze various data of clinical trials and case investigations to improve health outcomes, which is my goal to contribute to human health and increase knowledge of public health issues.

What has been the single most rewarding experience of your career or studies so far?

I conducted an individual study in spring 2021 and won first place in the contest in my department. The study was to analyze data from the hospital, which has shown the difference in response over PPI treatment in different populations. The experience has made me realize the practicality and foresight of biostatistics in public health, thus I want to delve into this field more to contribute to society.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing public health today?

The lack of awareness of public health and the distrust of the profession among the public may lead to difficulty in communication with the public, making it challenging for public health practitioners to conduct interventions.

What advice would you offer someone who is thinking about a career in public health? 

Studying public health in diverse fields provides the opportunity for interdisciplinary learning, which is also a challenge. You can get into various unfamiliar fields, such as epidemiology, biostatistics, public policy, and health education. Lots of teamwork is required in public health courses. If you enjoy getting along with, communicating with, and brainstorming with all kinds of people, you are the right person to fling yourself into public health. Learning a variety of knowledge and contacting different people is what I enjoy the most about studying public health.