Happy National Public Health Week!
Today’s National Public Health Week daily theme is Community. What better way to celebrate the public health law community than to introduce some of our staff. All the work done with and through the Center for Public Health Law Research supports the widespread adoption of scientific tools and methods for mapping and evaluating the impact of law on health. We’re so happy to introduce you to the people doing the research behind the scenes!
Name & CPHLR Job Title:
Elizabeth (Lizzy) Platt, Director of Research and Operations
Adam Herpolsheimer, Law and Policy Analyst
Alexander Frazer, Legal Technology Manager
Cydney Murray, Law and Policy Analyst
Hope Holroyd, Communications Coordinator
Where are you from?
LP: Glastonbury, CT
AH: Wichita, KS
AF: Philadelphia, PA
CM: Willingboro, NJ
HH: Cherry Hill, NJ
What did you study/what degrees have you earned?
LP: BA in Political Science from Clemson University; JD from Syracuse College of Law; MA in International Relations from Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University
AH: Film & Media Studies - Bachelor's
AF: BSBA in Finance, JD
CM: Public Health, BS and JD
HH: BAs in Public Relations, Advertising, and American Studies and MA in Strategic Communication
What do you wish more people knew about legal epidemiology work?
LP: How pervasive law and policy are in their daily lives - we study the impact of other interventions, like medicine, coffee, red wine... why not study the impact of law?
AH: How impactful it can be
AF: The broad range of subjects that would benefit from the legal epidemiological treatment
CM: I wish more people knew what an indispensable tool it is for achieving better health outcomes. With so many pressing health challenges to address, it's worthwhile to track and evaluate what legal and policy approaches are actual solutions before supporting laws and policies that are, at best, ineffective and, at worst, harmful.
HH: People don't realize just how nuanced public health laws can be and the everyday effects it has on our lives. This work can highlight those nuanced areas to directly show how the law impact our lives.
Why did you choose to work in public health law?
LP: Public health law covers so many different topics, all of which are so prevalent in the news today - opioids, guns, reproductive rights, public health emergencies. I love research in general, so I was interested in an opportunity to dive into all of these different topics.
AH: LGBTQ Rights
AF: As I realized the broader definitions of public health, I realized I had always been interested in the topic and wanted to dive in further.
CM: I chose to work in public health law because law is one of the most impactful social determinants of health. Assuring that law is aligned with promoting public health is essential to achieving health equity and justice.
HH: I wanted to work with the Center because I wanted the work I do to mean something. I'm not just creating social media for the sake of social media, I'm creating content that a policymaker or advocate could see that can potentially lead to positive change.
What areas or topics of public health are you passionate about?
LP: Public health emergencies and gun violence
AH: LGBTQ Rights
AF: Drug legalization, Opioid crisis, Privacy, LGBTQ+, Equity
HH: Women's rights, LGBTQ+, social determinants of health and mental health