Diana Augustin (MPH, Maternal and Child Health) is an Epidemiology doctoral student and graduate research assistant at the Cannabis Research Center. 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 in the Gilman lab. 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. Her 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. Currently, Diana is leveraging these interests alongside the world's leading Substance Use and Health experts exploring the impact of cannabis and cannabis legislation on Minnesota's youth, Black, Native, and pregnant populations.