To Julia Bennett, vaccinations are public health’s most powerful tool. Bennett, a Ph.D. candidate in epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health, was part of the Husky Coronavirus Testing Team that received the 2023 UW Award of Excellence in Innovation. In this Q&A, she shares what it was like working on this team during the height of the pandemic, collaborating with the Washington State Department of Health to evaluate the impact of removing the personal belief exemption option, and how she hopes her work will help inform vaccine policy decisions.
What drew you to public health and why do you enjoy studying it?
I have a lifelong love of science and have always been fascinated by infectious diseases. I was drawn to public health because of its potential to use rigorous science to influence health policy and lift up vulnerable populations. The best part of studying public health is working and forming relationships with the compassionate, smart and dedicated individuals that the field attracts.
Tell us about your research. What impact do you hope it will have?
My research interests are in vaccine preventable disease epidemiology, and most of my work currently focuses on pneumococcal disease, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). I think the far-reaching value of vaccines cannot be overstated. The ability to simultaneously protect individuals and populations makes vaccines arguably public health’s most powerful tool. Immunization programs are also equalizers; tools for reducing inequities and breaking cycles of poverty and disease. I hope that my work will play a small role in informing vaccine policy decisions and reducing the burden of these life-threatening diseases.
The Husky Coronavirus Testing Team, which you were a part of, received the 2023 Award of Excellence in Innovation. Describe what your experience on the team was like and what the award means to you.
I am incredibly humbled to have been part of the Husky Coronavirus Testing Team during the past two years. I learned so much from this huge multidisciplinary team that has made this project possible. During the COVID-19 Omicron wave last year when local testing sites were over capacity, there was a massive effort by the team to ramp up the number of tests that were collected and tested every day, and then to analyze and report the data back to UW leadership. I think everyone helped staff the testing locations due to COVID-19 outbreaks among study staff while still expanding hours at testing locations.
What experiences at the UW School of Public Health (SPH) have been most influential?
UW SPH has a great relationship with local health departments. Last year, I worked on a course project that led to an opportunity to collaborate with the Washington State Department of Health. With the support of UW SPH faculty, we evaluated the impact of removing the personal belief exemption option for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) school requirement in Washington state. I am hopeful that this work will contribute to the evidence base for vaccine policy decisions in the state and across the U.S. more broadly. This experience has greatly influenced my interest in using applied epidemiology to inform current policy issues.
What is one piece of advice that you have for potential new public health students or one thing you wish you knew before beginning your public health studies?
Seek out a diverse mentorship team — your advisor, senior and junior faculty, students ahead of you in their academic career, other students in your cohort, and public health professionals outside of academia. My work has been immensely influenced by mentors and I attribute my accomplishments to their guidance and encouragement. Mentors have given me incredibly important opportunities that have shaped my public health career and they have guided me through both challenging and exciting times.
What interests do you have outside of (or related to) public health? Any extracurricular activities?
I love yoga and spending time outdoors with my family, friends and my black lab — hiking, playing pickleball, kayaking, biking, skiing, sailing, you name it. My sister and I are currently training for a triathlon this summer!