Lauren White – Māhina 2017

Lauren White, was a student trainee in the 2017 Māhina program.

Lauren White (Choctaw): MPH student, University of Washington
Halito. I am a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and was born and raised in rural southeastern Oklahoma. I am currently pursuing a Master’s of Public Health in the UW Epidemiology program, where I am learning study design and biostatistics. I am interested in the social and environmental determinants of health and the concepts of community, identity, and belief, and how these shape mental wellness and affect mental health outcomes and common comorbidities in rural and Indigenous communities. In addition, I am especially interested in learning to apply Indigenous methodologies and develop projects, which center Indigenous culture for their theoretical basis. Shortly after completion of the Mahina program, I will be applying for PhD programs, which emphasize public health research. I should also tell you that I have conducted much fieldwork in lizard behavior and I have worked many summers as a wildland firefighter.

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Māhina is supported by funding from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T37MD008625-01.