Introducing News Team Member Sarah Du

My interest in healthcare and medical journalism started during my sophomore year of college. I was still taking classes from as many different fields as possible to get a feel for what path I wanted to pursue. As I took human health, biology, and economics classes, I envision a future that involved all of those fields. But one class, particularly Drugs and Behavior, stood out to me because of how it brought light to public health issues that the media hadn’t discussed.

What vastly differentiated this class from all other classes was that we delved deeply into what was true and what wasn’t. In Drugs and Behavior, we read articles that exposed the truths behind major pharmaceutical companies and their motives. We read about the pros and cons of our medical care system and other reports concerning healthcare and health awareness. It was the first time I had stopped to question whether or not popular trends such as superfoods should be followed, and it brought to light the depth of our nation’s health disparities. I began to think about how inaccurate reporting of health issues–or a lack thereof–could cause issues that could’ve been avoided.

Health awareness is a universal issue, starting from how we take care of our bodies to how our country takes care of us. In the United States, processed and refined foods have been completely normalized. Fast food restaurants have dominated and spread virtually everywhere, both rural and city-wide. Yet there are still some communities that scramble to find adequate health care due to a myriad of reasons, varying from distance to poverty.[1]

Just as my education has shaped me into who I am today, I hope to share my findings so that others can become more informed on subjects that matter. As a new member of the Human Health news team, I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to be able to share my research and uncover the truth about global health with the online world.

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