Profile
Meghan is a third year doctoral candidate in Global Health within the Joint Doctoral Program (JDP) in Public Health. This is a joint degree program between the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine in the School of Medicine at UCSD, and the Graduate School of Public Health at SDSU. Prior to beginning her PhD, Meghan received a Bachelors of Science degree in biochemistry and cellular biology with a minor in cultural anthropology from UCSD, and a Master's in Public Health in epidemiology. Throughout the past 10 years, Meghan's research has included qualitative research in refugee health, health intervention research on adolescent physical activity, and longitudinal research examining behaviors of marine recruits. Meghan has found an ideal arena within the global health field, where she is able to blend her passion for experiencing different cultures with her love of scientific research. Since beginning her PhD in 2007, Meghan has worked within the Division of Global Public Health at UCSD, on various research projects within the U.S.-Mexico border region focused on substance use, HIV, and related infections. Recently Meghan was awarded a research supplement from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to support her dissertation research. Her dissertation is examining gender differences related to predictors of initiation of injection drug use. In addition to her research involvement, Meghan has a long-standing commitment to being an active part of her community. During her PhD, she has acted as the student representative for the JDP steering committee, mentored undergraduate and master's students, and enjoyed engaging students through her role as a teaching assistant and course instructor. Meghan's motto is “work hard, play hard”. She loves traveling, running, reading, and playing with her two dogs.
