Former PHS Gordis Teaching Fellow, Spring 2017
A Story of Collaboration:
PHS Alum Publishes Paper with a former GTF
Shahmir Ali (A&S ’19) first met Angela Trude (BSPH ’19) in 2018 when they worked together in Dr.Gittelsohn’s lab at Bloomberg. She was PhD student studying human nutrition and also a Gordis Teaching Fellow (GTF) for PHS. They kept in touch after they both moved on from Hopkins. Fast forward to 2023: Shamir and Angela crossed paths at NYU, where Shahmir was completing his PhD and Angela had become an Assistant Professor. Shahmir was doing research on social media data and had an idea. He realized that “looking at the 2017 Philly Beverage Tax through the lens of twitter would be a great case study, which [he] could also collaborate on with Angela (who has a lot of experience on nutrition-related policies).” In Angela’s words, she “was thrilled with his invitation.” The paper was published in the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice in 2023 and PHS staff noticed the two familiar names!
We asked both Shahmir and Angela about their research, career paths and advice: The answers to Angela’s questions appear below. The answers to Shahmir’s questions appear on his profile page.
How did you end up working with Shahmir post-JHU?
During my transition to a faculty position, I received funding from the RWJF to conduct a mixed-methods study on the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for online grocery shopping among families with low income. I wanted to hire research assistants with strong qualitative research methods training and Shahmir’s name was one of the first that crossed my mind. I was lucky he was interested and available, so we started working closely together in 2020! I always have fun working with him on a project or a publication and I was thrilled with his invitation to collaborate on his recent paper!
Could you describe the PHS elective you taught as a “Gordis teaching Fellow”? How has your career evolved since then?
In the Spring semester of 2017 I had one of the most incredible experiences teaching a Gordis course for the PHS program titled: Public Health Nutrition in Latin America. The course examined drivers and determinants of health in the Latin American population from a public health nutrition perspective. Students discussed historical public health nutrition issues in Latin America to understand current diet-related concerns and patterns. At the end of the course, students proposed public health policies and interventions to improve health in Latin America and among Latin American immigrant communities in the US. Being able to teach this course only reinforced my passion for teaching and mentoring and reassured me that an academic position was the right career path. Since then, my work has expanded to Latin America with collaborators in Brazil and Chile for example. When moving to NYC as an assistant professor at NYU, I was also able to expand my work to immigrant communities from Latin America living in the city.
Any advice for PHS undergraduates as they navigate how and what to pursue after JHU?
I have to say that I was extremely impressed with PHS students at JHU when I taught my Gordis course and they have been among the top students I have ever interacted with! So if you are finishing your degree at JHU, I have no doubt you will do amazing things in the future! My two cents advice is to stay connected with your peers, faculty, and mentors at JHU. Keep them posted on your interests and plans. We may be able to offer you opportunities or connect you with other people who might have something for you. Don’t be afraid to request recommendation letters for job or graduate school applications. We are only one email away and want to see our students succeed and save lives one million at a time!