Rachel Tao
USA
Epidemiology Master’s Student
Rachel is passionate about understanding data-driven approaches to real world problems. She received her BA in Environmental Biology from Columbia University, where she studied ecosystem services of green roofs in upper Manhattan and the Bronx. She has worked at the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, and as a clinical research assistant in pediatric endocrinology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In 2016 she started volunteering as a rape crisis and domestic violence survivor advocate, work that kindled in her an interest in violence prevention. Currently, she is pursuing her MPH at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where she studies Epidemiology, with a focus on Applied Biostatistics. She works on projects related to 1) gun violence prevention and harm reduction in NY and NJ, 2) health information sharing platforms and community outreach in Washington Heights, NYC, and 3) methodology for assessing the health effects of environmental mixtures, such as the effects of breathing in multiple different air pollutants, for a population. In her spare time, she likes to knit and tend to her houseplants, Amanda and Ginger.