Public Outreach in the GotFluToo Study

Presenter: Magdalena Holland, Public Health Science, Global Public Health Scholars

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r my practicum, I have been working—and continue to work—as an undergraduate research assistant in the Public Health Aerobiology Lab at the University of Maryland. In this role, I work closely with graduate research assistants, clinical nurses, and faculty across the clinic, as well as the virology and bioaerosol laboratories. My primary responsibilities include maintaining consistent communication with study participants to ensure timely biweekly nasal swab submissions, managing the deployment and retrieval of air monitors across different dormitories and apartment-style housing, assembling and logging sample kits, and helping to facilitate end-of-year clinic visits. These duties have helped my organizational skills and taught me the importance of participant engagement in longitudinal studies. Throughout my time in the lab, I have gained a well-rounded perspective on the research process—from navigating informed consent procedures and understanding Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols to participating in data collection and carrying out clinical procedures. Additionally, I’ve improved my clinical skills, including administering flu and COVID-19 tests using a Cepheid machine, performing phlebotomy, and recording vital signs such as height, weight, and temperature. This practicum has furthered my appreciation for the effort required to conduct an effective public health research study. The significance of our work lies in its potential to identify trends in acute respiratory infection outbreaks on campus and the environmental factors, like air quality and ventilation, that may influence the spread of these illnesses. Our findings could have important implications for public health policy, particularly in advocating for the use of Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) air disinfection systems in dormitories, classrooms, and other shared spaces. Ultimately, this research aims to inform strategies that could help mitigate the spread of respiratory illnesses such as influenza and COVID-19, thereby improving the health and well-being of the campus community.