Putting the “Ethics” in Public Health

After working in state and local health departments during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jessica Ellis, MS has an interesting perspective on research.

Following New Connections

Jess joined the Center for Bioethics and Humanities (CBH) for a much-needed break from working in public health during the COVID-19 pandemic as an infectious disease epidemiologist. Going from frontline work to behind-the-scenes research was strange and new, but an undeniable opportunity. It offered Jess hands-on practice while working on her Master of Science in Health Services Research, creating a positive feedback loop between what was being taught in classes and applying the skills learned to an active research process. She is now highly skilled in the quantitative analysis needed for research projects.

Concussions, Chatbots, & Community: Analyzing the Data

Currently, Jess is splitting her time as a data analyst between six different studies. Much of her time, and learning how to do qualitative analysis, is spent on the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)-funded project. This project examines ethical, legal, and social issues related to new ingestible medical devices to treat obesity and diabetes. There are two sports studies with Christine Baugh, PhD, MPH. The first works with professional athletes in Major League Rugby to understand their beliefs and experiences with concussions. The second examines how parents make decisions with respect to children playing contact sports. Another study with Baugh reviews faculty conflicts of interests with drug and medical device companies. The final two studies are with Matthew DeCamp, MD, PhD. One observes how people interact with AI chatbots in healthcare, and the other looks at how different Colorado communities experienced the COVID pandemic. Through time away from public health and making new connections at CBH, Jess has added ethical thinking and analysis to her public health toolbox.

Taking Aim to Do Things Differently

With a Master’s from the Colorado School of Public Health, almost three years of experience working at the Texas Department of State Health Services, and another 2.5 years at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, Jess knows the public health space. And she knows it at its most strained, having worked for both state and local health departments during the pandemic. After her experience of working in this integral space and making connections at CBH, Jess has a vision for a brighter future.

“I would love to go work in a health department and use my ethical lens to [confront] really hard questions about what public health should be doing ethically.”

Ethics and ethical research have given Jess the perspective of how to approach questions in a way that brings thoughtfulness into less philosophical, more boots-on-the-ground spaces. But it’s also spurred by another potential career path: law school. Working with Daniel Goldberg, JD, PhD, and other policy experts in CBH has brought up a passion for thinking about how the legal system intervenes in healthcare access and the social determinants of health.

Both of these career choices stem from her parting way with public health work and transitioning to work in ethical research at CBH. The culmination of these experiences has led Jess to feeling empowered to improve the future of public health for both public health professionals and the communities they serve.

Reading Materials

Read up on the studies Jess has facilitated, alongside Matt DeCamp and PRAs Marlee Akerson, Ahmed Alasmar, Natalie Dellavalle, Mika Hamer, and others!