Currently studying health science at BYU, Amanda Carlson is dedicated to applying public health principles to her future endeavors.
After graduating this spring, Carlson plans on attending medical school. While she’s uncertain about which field of medicine she’ll pursue, she’s confident it will involve public health.
“I know that I want to do something that has a public health influence,” Carlson said.
Carlson discovered public health after beginning her college career as a molecular biology major. After learning about BYU’s public health program, she made the switch – a decision she says has shaped her path in countless ways.
One pivotal experience was her internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where Carlson worked with a research team studying the role of surgery as an essential tool for medicine and examining the quality of access to surgical resources. During her time there, she also contributed to a pancreatic cancer research project.
Here at BYU, Carlson has explored public health further by completing research on the virology of HIV. She focused on a specific HIV mutation that delays the onset of AIDS – research she believes has real-world potential.
“You want to delay AIDS, and if there’s a mutation that does that, it’s a potential treatment area for HIV,” she said.
From these experiences, Carlson hopes to expand even further into global health. To fulfill this goal, she currently volunteers with the Kaiizen Foundation, a humanitarian non-profit that rebuilds communities in Mexico.
“We bring local volunteers around here to Baja, California, a community that we’ve been involved with for a lot of years,” said Carlson. “And I’ve been able to use a lot of my public health skills, even though that’s not necessarily what the job exactly was.”
Implementing public health through all aspects of her life, Carlson has been able to create changes in countless communities. Carlson also advocates for others to join her endeavors.
“There’s tons of opportunities that public health offers. Just jump in and do it ‘cause it’s awesome,” she said.
