During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina was asked by her boss at the University of Texas to send out daily email updates to staff, faculty, and students. These updates were initially meant to be temporary, just until someone else could take over. However, four years later, Jetelina’s free newsletter, Your Local Epidemiologist, remains a valuable source of information for about 230,000 subscribers in 100 countries.
Jetelina’s newsletter has evolved beyond just COVID-19 updates to cover various public health topics, such as mental health and gun violence. Her passion for teaching is evident in her efforts to educate the public through her newsletter. She recently left her position at UT to work as a scientific-communications consultant for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to her newsletter, Jetelina has also raised funds to start a nonprofit organization that will support and expand the work of other scientists who are dedicated to educating the public. She believes that public health efforts are often unseen and underappreciated, and she aims to change that by making their work more visible.
Jetelina’s goal is to break down the complexity of public health and make it more accessible to the general public. Through her newsletter and nonprofit organization, she hopes to empower more scientists to share their knowledge and expertise with the world.