SPH Welcomes 10th Cohort of Public Health Post Fellows.
SPH Welcomes 10th Cohort of Public Health Post Fellows
Following a record number of applicants, the daily online publication welcomed five new fellows to the team in 2025: Bernadette Carter-Salmond, Mallika Chimpiri, Rowena Lindsay, Jack Mellom, and Aidan Stotz.
Public Health Post (PHP) is a daily population health magazine produced by the School of Public Health that spotlights critical intersections in public health and social justice in communities across the United States. Each year since its founding in 2016, a small cohort of on-campus MPH students are selected as PHP Fellows and spend the year cultivating their public health writing and science communication skills.
Throughout the fellowship, students translate complex, academic research into plain language to engage readers and bring awareness to underreported, evidence-based public health solutions. Students work under the direction of Monica Wang, executive editor and associate professor of community health sciences, Jennifer Beard, associate editor and clinical associate professor of global health, and Mallory Bersi (SPH’19), managing editor.
Guided by their individual interests, PHP fellows will publish more than 30 original articles or multimedia pieces throughout the year that break down health research, explain data graphics, and present interviews with leaders in the field in both a written format and through PHPod, PHP’s monthly podcast.
At a time when education, public health, and health equity are under attack, PHP fellows develop a unique set of skills to help them communicate effectively for change among their peers, policymakers, and lay audiences alike.
Following a record number of applicants, PHP welcomed five new fellows to the team this year: Bernadette Carter-Salmond, Mallika Chimpiri, Rowena Lindsay, Jack Mellom, and Aidan Stotz. In the newest episode of PHPod, Abby Varker, host and former multimedia fellow, sits down with the incoming cohort of fellows to discuss their interests in public health and health communications as they head into their year-long fellowships.
Learn more about PHP’s 2025-2026 fellows:
Bernadette Carter-Salmond is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, studying health communication and promotion. Some of her public health interests include mental health, sexual and reproductive health, substance use, and environmental justice. She is especially passionate about how public health issues intersect with vulnerable populations. In her free time, she enjoys watching anime and sports, meditating, and going to comedy shows.
Mallika Chimpiri is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, studying epidemiology and biostatistics. Her interest in public health stems from a passion for clinical medicine and exploring how various determinants can intersect to manifest population-level disease. In her free time, Mallika can be found reading fiction, rewatching comfort shows, or taking portraits of her friends.
Rowena Lindsay is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, specializing in epidemiology & biostatistics and health communications. She is passionate about reproductive and environmental health. Her background is in science journalism, and as both a writer and public health practitioner, she aims to empower people to make informed decisions in all aspects of their lives. Outside business hours, you can find her hiking, practicing yoga, and listening to audiobooks while crafting.
Jack Mellom is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, studying health communication and promotion. His passions include promoting public health through new mediums in hopes of making its dissemination digestible for all. He has a background in plant sciences, which has given way to his love of public horticulture being used to improve health, as well as his love of plants. His favorite tree is the Live Oak. Outside of his public health work, Jack loves all things music, his favorite artist being Vampire Weekend.
Aidan Stotz is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, studying epidemiology and biostatistics with a concentration in chronic and non-communicable diseases. He is passionate about cancer epidemiology, particularly pediatric cancer research, and examining how social determinants shape health inequities. His experience includes rural and urban mental health, data analysis, and social justice advocacy. In his free time, he enjoys reading, discovering new music, and thrifting.
Read more from the PHP fellows—past and present—at publichealthpost.org, and sign up for PHP’s weekly newsletter.
To support the work of Public Heath Post and our student fellows, consider giving a gift here.