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Alyssa Lederer Faculty Spotlight

Faculty Spotlight: Alyssa Lederer

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Dr. Alyssa Lederer is an Associate Professor in Applied Health Science who recently joined us at IUB. Dr. Lederer shared with us about her career path, current research projects, and some advice for students interested in a career in sexual and/or reproductive health research:

How did you get to where you are today? What has your career path been like?

I volunteered with my local HIV/AIDS community-based organization when I was in high school, and it was a defining experience for me. I went on to work for several sexual health non-profit organizations and as a university-based health educator. I originally decided to get a doctoral degree to advance my career in public health practice, but once I began the doctoral program (at IUSPH-B!), I fell in love with research and teaching and realized that becoming a faculty member was the right path for me.

What did you study when you were an undergraduate student? How did that shape your subsequent graduate study or your professional career?

In retrospect, I was interested in studying public health before I knew exactly what public health was. My undergraduate institution didn’t offer a public health degree, so I created my own major called Studies in Health and Society. I also double-majored in Studies in Women and Gender. These majors solidified my commitment to studying and working in sexual and reproductive health and public health more broadly. Once I realized that public health was an actual academic discipline, I knew getting an MPH was in my future.

Photo from the 2022 APHA Annual Meeting with IU MPH student Emma Schreier who won an award for her abstract “Flying under the radar: Sexual health promotion at public colleges and universities in the American South”. This work originated as Emma’s undergraduate honors thesis at Tulane University where Dr. Lederer was her thesis advisor.

What current research project(s) are you involved in or particularly excited about?

I am working on several projects that I am excited about right now! One is a study called Teaching to Change Campus Climate (TC3), which is a multi-method evaluation of a curricular intervention intended to reduce sexual violence and enhance sexual health among college students. I am also working on a project related to increasing expedited partner therapy (EPT) acceptance for chlamydia among young people In New Orleans and I am thinking about what this work might look like in Indiana. I am also about to start a new project with colleagues at IUSPH-B examining people’s intention to get tested for HIV in a rural Indiana county and ways that future interventions can be tailored to meet their needs.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I feel incredibly lucky to have a job that satisfies my intellectual curiosity while allowing me to help train the next generation of public health professionals and researchers.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in a career in sexual and/or reproductive health research?

Be proactive and persistent in reaching your goals. Take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, and pave your own way if you need to. It will be worth it!

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work (e.g., hobbies or interests)?

I am a big dog lover and enjoy spending time with my rescue corgi named Beignet (I lived in New Orleans before returning to Bloomington). We even have an impressive array of tricks!