The Pitt Vaccination and Health Connection Hub congratulates its interns in the 2023 Pitt Public Health Undergraduate Scholars Program (PHUSP), whose research on sexually transmitted infections was recognized for awards.
The Hub’s summer interns, Zoe Goldblum, a Penn State student, and Connor Chen, of Oregon State University, both won second place in the Best Research Posters category after participating in a poster session at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July. Hannah Covert, PhD, research assistant professor in Environmental and Occupational Health, who manages the internship program, announced the awards Sept. 7.
Goldblum’s poster was titled, “Stop the STIgma: Recommendations on Effective Messaging for STIs in LGBTQIA+ Populations,” and Chen’s was, “Test-To-Treat: Utilizing Community Pharmacies to Address Rising Rates of STIs.” Their mentors and preceptors were Joni Carroll, PharmD; Thai Nguyen, PharmD; Jessie Burke, PhD; and Kate Brownlee, MPM.
Goldblum and Chen were among 38 participants who successfully completed Pitt’s eight-week summer program designed to advance health equity by increasing diversity in the public health workforce.
Funded by the Office of Health Equity at the CDC as part of the John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program, the program aims to encourage historically underserved college students to consider careers in public health.
The program focuses on maternal and child health, environmental justice and climate and health. Applications for next summer will open Nov. 1, 2023.
