Berthony Deslouches, MD, PhD
Program Director, Public Health Science Academy
Assistant Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health
Director of Educational Outreach, Office of the Dean
The primary goal of my research laboratory is to develop peptide-based antimicrobial therapeutics against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance constitutes a global health crisis, which threatens to reverse many advances in the field of medicine. A secondary objective is to establish how the environment influences the composition of the host microbiota and the resulting health consequences.
Beth Hoffman, PhD, MPH
Program Manager, Public Health Science Academy
Postdoctoral Associate, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences
I am a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (BCHS), where I teach and conduct research on media and health, including how health topics on popular television programs (like Grey's Anatomy) influence health. I also use media data to examine public health topics such as vaping and vaccination. My master's thesis, which used quantitative, qualitative, and social network analyses to examine anti-vaccine sentiment on Facebook, formed the basis for a first-author publication that was featured by multiple media outlets including CNN, Newsweek, and NBC's WPXI. I enjoy working with young people and am a member of CHAMP, a collaboration between Children’s Hospital and Arsenal Middle School, and the Youth Community Vaccine Collaborative.
Hannah Covert, PhD
Administrative Director, Public Health Science Academy
Research Assistant Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health
I manage an environmental and community health research and capacity building portfolio, providing both scientific and administrative leadership for multiple projects. While diverse in topic, these projects have the ultimate goal of advancing resilience in communities facing environmental health threats and long-standing health disparities. I am often involved in community-academic partnerships promoting meaningful engagement between researchers and community members – including high school students! My subject matter expertise is in environmental health literacy, community-based participatory research, and climate and health.
Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH
Dean, School of Public Health
Jonas Salk Professor of Population Health
Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health
As Dean I oversee the growth and continued success of the School of Public Health’s seven academic departments and hundreds of students, faculty, and staff. I also serve as professor of environmental and occupational health and the Jonas Salk Professor of Population Health. I study environmental public health, focusing on environmentally induced disease, health disparities, environmental health policy, disaster preparedness, public health systems, and community resilience. My research examines the cumulative impact of chemical and non-chemical stressors on communities facing environmental health threats, disasters, and health disparities.