Hello MCH-ers!
So great to have everyone here for the semester! Welcome again!
By way of introduction, I am a biological anthropologist by training and have spent the past 20 years studying the complex genetic, familial, and nutritional relationships that shape how children grow, develop, and achieve optimal health for them, with a particular focus on the transgenerational transmission of obesity risk. This broad research interest is probably why I teach such disparate classes: in the MCH MPH Program, I teach Child Health (PubH 6606), while in the Epidemiology MPH Program I teach Genetics in Public Health (PubH 6381) and in the Public Health Nutrition MPH Program I teach Nutritional Assessment (PubH 6915). My current major research projects examine the epigenetics of obesity and biological aging, and the role of maternal nutritional status in altering breast milk composition and lactation success.
How did a biological anthropologist become a maternal and child health researcher and teacher? I loved being an anthropologist. I deeply immersed myself through participant-observational research in a local culture (in my case, a rural fishing village in Papua New Guinea). What I saw and wrote about was that changing foodways, the product of rapid economic change and globalization had two sides: first, a benefit in a reduction in child malnutrition; and second, a down-side: increased adulthood obesity and Type 2 Diabetes prevalence. What public health, and maternal and child health specifically, adds to this picture is that we have a primary mission to improve health, beyond analyzing and comparing. We advocate for communities. We gather data to aid in prioritizing populations and communities and problems for allocation of public health resources. We read the literature to know not only WHAT the science says but how those findings can be USED to create better interventions and programs to reduce disparities. Same questions, often similar methods, but often different goals. That ethical focus really drew me toward public health science.
The University of Minnesota is a gorgeous campus full of hard-working, curious, and intellectually generous students and teachers. I do believe we are “driven to discover” and do so in a rather humble, Minnesotan manner! We don’t brag about what we do, which is so refreshing, we just do it. The downside is that with SO many things going on, SO many experts and potential collaborators and opportunities, it can be overwhelming. Like a kid in a candy store….TOO MANY options. I think that is the hardest thing is to pare it down to what I am MOST interested in spending my time on. That is an important thing for you to be considering here as well……being in an MPH Program is training for a career, but it is also a time to sift through different ideas and issues to see which ones you feel strongest about pursuing in your next phase.
I have a few recommendations:
Please do meet with your academic advisor and if you aren’t feeling like they are helping you, let me know! They are the best people to help you decide which path to go for your Integrated Learning Experience and can give you names of other people they know who are interested in your areas
Take the time to prepare for your Applied Practice Experience by querying the SPH searchable Field Experience database a few months in advance of the term you wish to start.
Talk to the EpiCH academic student services group (especially Shelley and Marlin) often, for answers to all of your questions on courses and meeting the requirements of the degree
Visit the SPH Career Services office once in your first year, and once in your second year
Focus less on grades in courses and more on choosing courses that expand your MCH skills and on getting immersed in ideas with your fellow students, mentors, and co-workers.
Sit outside and have a cup of coffee: enjoy these fall days before it gets really cold!
Favorite things to do to relax in the Twin Cities? The answer depends on the season!
Summer: Kayaking on area lakes with my daughters; Lake Harriet is my favorite
Fall: Walking tours of our interesting neighborhoods and historical sites with the Minnesota Historical Society. I especially love going to the Stone Arch Bridge and Mill Ruins and Mill Museum right near my office at WBOB.
Winter: Loppet Luminary Cross-country skiing event on Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. So magical. Where else are there bonfires marking your ski trail? But so cold, so the next best thing is to soak up needed moisture at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory and Botanical Gardens at Como Park in Saint Paul
Spring: We don’t have spring, just a few weeks of mud. So, in “Spring” I would say, keep trying to go outside to avoid seasonal sadness.
I hope that answers some of your questions about who I am and how I can best help you. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions about my research, courses, and/or experiences. I look forward to another successful year with you in the Maternal and Child Health program!
-Ellen Demerath
