New Faculty Spotlight: Yu Wang

Yu Wang, who recently joined the School of Public Health as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences, strives to foster a learning environment in which students feel supported, challenged and motivated to reach their full potential

What inspired you to pursue a career in public health?
I chose preventive medicine as my undergraduate major because I believed in the importance of preventing diseases before they start. Through years of learning and working in the public health field, I have come to deeply enjoy the work I do. During my master’s studies at Emory University, I focused on research related to the dietary intake and nutritional status of children. For my Ph.D. at GSU, I worked on tobacco control at the Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science (TCORS). After completing my Ph.D., I joined the CDC, where my research focused on heart disease and stroke prevention. Now back at GSU, I have the opportunity to teach epidemiology to our students. It is my passion for public health and the excitement of making a difference that inspired me to pursue this career.

What attracted you to the GSU SPH?
From 2018 to 2022, I was a Ph.D. student at the GSU SPH, and this was the most rewarding and productive period of my academic journey. I was deeply impressed by the supportive and collaborative environment fostered by the faculty, as well as their dedication to student success. This experience solidified my desire to be part of the GSU SPH team. I believe GSU SPH provides an excellent platform for me to continue growing as an educator while also giving back to the community. I am particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity to work alongside esteemed colleagues and contribute to shaping the next generation of public health professionals. Being part of this vibrant academic community is a chance to learn, share and innovate together, and I am excited about the possibilities ahead.

How do you describe your research to people outside of your discipline?
I describe my research as focusing on understanding how various factors, such as socio-economic status, behaviors and policies, affect public health outcomes. Specifically, I investigate how we can prevent diseases and improve health at the population level. My work often involves analyzing large data sets to identify patterns and trends in health behaviors and to explore the determinants of these behaviors. For example, I have studied the association between exposure to tobacco marketing and tobacco use, as well as the impact of telehealth on medication adherence to oral anticoagulants. The goal of my research is to provide insights that can inform public health policies and interventions, ultimately aiming to improve health for all communities.

What do you want students to gain from your instruction and mentorship?
My goal for undergraduate students is to ignite their interest in epidemiology and encourage them to explore the field further. I aim to present the subject in a way that highlights its relevance to everyday life and public health, inspiring them to consider how epidemiology can impact society. For graduate students, I focus on developing their critical thinking skills and the ability to apply epidemiological principles to real-world scenarios. I want to provide them with hands-on experience working with real-world data and addressing practical research questions. By doing so, I hope to prepare them to be more competitive in the job market and to contribute meaningfully to the public health field. Through both instruction and mentorship, I strive to foster a learning environment in which students feel supported, challenged and motivated to reach their full potential.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family, whether we are playing board games, going for a walk or exploring new experiences together. I also love replicating Asian street food recipes, which often turns into fun family event with my kids helping to plan and prepare the dishes. Their favorite is making snow skin mooncakes. I also value quiet moments alone, where I can unwind by reading, listening to music or simply relaxing and doing nothing at all.