Blog
Three Burning Questions – Dr. Trang Nguyen, San Francisco
Meet Trang. An epi from San Francisco, an avid bicyclist, and all-around STD all-star.
What do you love most about working in STD prevention?
Dr. Nguyen and her furry friend
The challenges of working in STD prevention are curiously what makes the work of STD prevention interesting and inspiring. The complexities of personal decision-making and external systems that lead to an STD infection or preventing it, ranging from health education to socioeconomic and empowerment issues, multiply the number of layers involved in our work. While frustrating, these challenges have highlighted the commitment and passion the staff have as they continue to try new approaches so that we might improve the sexual health of our clients and communities.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing our field?
In order to have a meaningful impact on current trends in STDs, our work must intersect collaboratively with so many other areas of health care and public health. Expanding our traditional approaches to STD prevention, testing, and treatment through (oftentimes new) partnerships with multiple providers and organizations requires a different type of skill and resource than has been previously invested in STD programs. It’s challenging to reframe the work while the work is still going, but it’s been exciting to see staff across programs think creatively and seek new skills and opportunities to improve the public’s health.
When you’re not working, what’s your favorite thing to do with your free time?
I just wrapped up a season of cycling training to do a 2-day 100+ mile fundraising bike ride for multiple sclerosis. It’s been an incredible experience, through 14 nearly annual Bike MS rides, to be part of raising awareness and resources, while meeting wonderful people to train and ride with. I otherwise enjoy exploring (by foot) neighborhoods and food, locally and through traveling.
Trang's Bio
Dr. Trang Nguyen is an epidemiologist at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. She develops and coordinates interdisciplinary surveillance, research, and evaluation projects and provides epidemiologic consultation across the health department. Her primary areas of focus are STD and HIV. Dr. Nguyen’s research, project management, and publication experience includes HIV and STD prevention, testing, surveillance, and care; electronic communicable disease surveillance; syndromic surveillance; and outbreak investigations. She previously worked at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She received her Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and her doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
