I spent time at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development studying the associations between racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in maternal inflammation and risks of adverse birth outcomes. In the midst of this research I realized how geographically centered manifestations of structural racism are. I hope to build a stronger skillset in spatial epidemiology and various other methodologies of the population health sciences to better understand how place confers health risks for vulnerable populations. I think membership in the Minnesota Population Center will help me pursue my research interests which include structural determinants of maternal and child health, early stages of human development, adverse childhood experiences, and geospatial / place-based determinants of maternal and child health.
Diana Augustin (they/them, she/hers) is the Center's reproductive justice research assistant. Diana is also a first year MPH candidate in the Maternal and Child Health program at the University of Minnesota. Before attending the University of Minnesota, Diana worked as a post-baccalaureate research fellow at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development studying the associations between racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in maternal inflammation and risks of adverse birth outcomes. Diana thoroughly enjoyed the two years spent at the NICHD and was afforded valuable mentorship and training experiences. Diana also has a B.A. in Africana Studies and a minor in Cognitive Science from Carleton College, a beautifully small and quirky school located in Northfield, Minnesota. While at the University of Minnesota, Diana hopes to build a stronger skillset in spatial epidemiology and various other methodologies of the population health sciences. Diana's research interests include structural determinants of maternal and child health, early stages of human development, adverse childhood experiences, and geospatial determinants of maternal and child health.