Appetite for Life: Epidemiology: the story of disease

Every good story includes the “5 Ws”: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. In studying how disease begins and remains in a population, we’re writing the story of that disease, and we use the same technique. Join us on May 17, at noon, for a virtual talk by Julie Hasken, PhD, that highlights various approaches to understanding the “5 Ws” of a given disease and how understanding them can lead to tailored intervention and prevention. This presentation is particularly timely today since there are several spreadable (communicable) diseases and lifestyle-linked (noncommunicable) diseases that scientists are working to discover the “5 Ws” of in order to improve health and wellbeing.

Julie joined the NRI in 2012 as a Project Manager for Dr. Philip May focusing on the prevalence, child characteristics, and maternal risk factors of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in the United States and South Africa. She earned her doctorate from the UNC-CH Department of Nutrition in 2021 and is now a postdoctoral research associate with Dr. May. Julie earned her BS in Health Science from Truman State University and a Masters in Public Health, with a concentration in Health Education and Health Behavior, from UNC-CH. Julie is also a Certified Health Education Specialist.