From Thailand to the United States, May Thongthum is determined to leave a positive impact on the public health field.
The third-year student is on track to earn her PhD in public health with a concentration in One Health from the Department of Environmental and Global Health at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions.
Having grown up in both suburban and urban areas of Thailand, she witnessed firsthand the disparities in health care access and the environmental challenges that affect communities differently, depending on their surroundings, she said.
Those in rural settings suffered from poor water quality and agricultural practices that negatively impacted residents’ health. In urban regions, pollution and overcrowding presented different, yet alarming public health risks.
It was noticing these disparities which incited a drive in Thongthum to understand how “health outcomes are shaped not only by individual factors but also by environmental and societal conditions,” she said.
“I was drawn to the Environmental and Global Health program because it combines my passion for public health with a focus on the broader systems that influence human health, particularly in the context of global challenges like antimicrobial resistance, emerging infectious diseases, and environmental degradation,” Thongthum said.
Thongthum was also pulled toward the program because of its focus on the One Health approach, pushing her to think outside the box and examine health concerns from the perspectives of environmental, human and animal health.
Throughout her academic journey, Thongthum thanks one mentor in particular: EGH Assistant Professor Dr. Benjamin Anderson.
“With his extensive background in infectious diseases and public health initiatives around the world, particularly in Asia, he shares my passion for capacity building in low-resource settings,” she said. “His mentorship has not only guided me academically, but has also opened up significant opportunities for hands-on learning.”
This past summer, Thoughthum completed an internship with Caroline Duchaine, a professor at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada. Under Professor Duchaine’s guidance, Thongthum developed her understanding of bioaerosol research with a focus on antimicrobial resistance.
The experience also pushed her to master using specialized equipment and laboratory techniques crucial for the field.
After her internship, Thongthum took on a new project, which she proposed with the help of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand: “Capacity Building for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance: Bioaerosol Sampling Practical Training Modules.” It was funded by the Southeast Asia One Health University Network’s One Health Research and Training Award.
Participants and trainers perform a Gator chomp at the 2024 SEAOHUN Training Workshop at the Animal Hospital Nakhon Pathom, Chula’s Faculty of Veterinary Science Ranks, Thailand.
The project bridged the gap between high-resource and low-resource settings by sharing resources, knowledge and expertise of bioaerosol surveillance for capacity-building of AMR monitoring and surveillance.
Dr. Benjamin Anderson demonstrates the use of a bioaerosol sampler in an agricultural setting at Animal Hospital Nakhon Pathom, CUVET, Thailand
As part of the project, Thongthum created field guides for bioaerosol sampling to guide Thai researchers and veterinarians.
In the future, these very guides will further research, Thomgthum said.
The transformative experience taught Thongthum valuable skills in grant writing and effective collaboration across different time zones and perspectives. Moreover, she learned how to organize a two-day bipartisan sampling workshop, which required extensive planning.
Workshop attendees at Lab Station 1 preparing bioaerosol samples from the field for DNA extraction at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
When the 25-year-old international student considers her future in public health, she feels most drawn toward a role as a One Health researcher.
More specifically, she wants to use the One Health approach to study environmental antibiotic risk assessment and inform policy decisions.
Additionally, Thongthum is interested in capacity building or global health program consulting as a side endeavor. This would involve partnering with international organizations, such as USAID, FHI360, RTI International, and others to strengthen health systems and enhance research capabilities in low-resource settings.
“By combining my primary role in research with consulting work, I hope to make a meaningful impact, both through scientific discovery and practical health improvements, contributing to global health advancements and capacity building efforts,” she said.