Grad Student Feature: Applied learning and public health training with the Public Health Agency of Canada
As part of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program, all students complete a practicum with an organization in the field of public health. Lauren Rusk, current first-year MPH student at the USask School of Public Health, was selected for a competitive placement that aims to reduce the risk of travel-acquired illnesses across the country.
Lauren Rusk was born and raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. With a background is in biomedical sciences, Rusk’s research focused on neurobiology and depression.
Rusk saw the MPH program’s required practicum policy as an opportunity to expand her knowledge and skills in the area of infectious diseases. To this end, she applied and was selected for a nationally competitive practicum placement position with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Outbreak Management Division. Her practicum project examines the characteristics of several different travel acquired enteric pathogens, including Salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Rusk aims to confirm seasonal trends in travel related enteric infections (a group of illnesses which affect the gastrointestinal tract) and determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel related enteric diseases in Canada. The results of this project will help to clarify the status of travel acquired infections in Canada before, during and after the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. This may provide information that will serve to inform risk mitigation efforts and help decrease the burden of travel acquired enteric illnesses across the country.
Already, the position has proven to be a fantastic learning experience and has provided a deeper insight into the assessment and detection of infectious disease outbreaks and the public health and policy actions that can be used to control outbreaks and mitigate enteric infections.
To learn more about the USask Master of Public Health program, visit the School of Public Health website.