Brennan Lawless

Briefly describe your current role as a public health practitioner.

At Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, I am working on my master's in toxicology for human risk assessment studying both AI/machine learning QSAR models for predicting skin sensitization potential for compounds released from medical device materials and environmental contaminants, human hazards and health, and cleanup techniques on Superfund disaster sites--specifically the Tar Creek Superfund site in Miami, Oklahoma.

Why did you choose WVU for your public health education?

I transferred to WVU School of Public Health from WVU School of Pharmacy, because I felt I wanted a more encompassing role in healthcare rather than just focusing on a single individual. I chose WVU because it was somewhere I always knew I wanted to be! I had bled Old Gold and Blue for many years and was excited to further my journey as a Mountaineer.

Tell us about your field placement experience or other hands-on experiences.

I did my field placement at the WVU Health Affairs Institute on the MOTOR team, performing research and a meta-analysis on the opioid prescribing practices in Appalachia. Using this research, I was able to help inform the MOTOR team on prescribing practices for medications for opioid use disorders and recommend these same practices to West Virginia Medicaid.

What advice would you give today’s public health students?

My advice to today's public health students would be to keep going! There's a lot of people who disagree with what you're studying and want to cut the research out of the public eye, so stay strong! No matter what, what you do is important and meaningful and impactful for everyone!

What does public health mean to you?

Public health is quite literally everything, because everything can be chocked down to public health. Public health has brought me community and many opportunities that I would not have otherwise had and for that I am eternally grateful.