| 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM |
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Dr. Jorge Mera
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Meeting Patients Where They Are: HCV, HIV, and Syphilis Services in a Tribal Harm Reduction Program |
- Dr. Jorge Mera, Cherokee Nation Health Services
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| Dr. Jorge Mera is the Director of Infectious Diseases for Cherokee Nation Health Services (CNHS), the largest tribally operated healthcare system in the United States. His efforts have been instrumental in the successful implementation of the Cherokee Nation Hepatitis C and HIV elimination programs. Dr. Mera is also an Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and serves as the Medical Director for the South Central AIDS Education and Training Center. He completed his fellowship in Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Board Certified in Infectious Diseases by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), Dr. Mera is also a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. |
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Melanie Gaebe
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Advancing the Science: The Latest in Alzheimer's and Dementia Research |
- Melanie Gaebe, ND Alzheimer's Association
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| Melanie is the North Dakota Public Policy Director for the Alzheimer’s Association. She earned a Master’s of Arts in Political Science from American Military University while working as the policy analyst for the ND Department of Agriculture. Melanie has served on a number of volunteer boards including the Morton Mandan Public Library Board of Trustees and the Morton County Fair Board and currently serves on the Behavioral Health Planning Council, the North Dakota Association of Nonprofit Organizations Board, and belongs to a number of public health work groups and associations. |
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Michelle Dethloff
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Enteric Disease: Surveillance Overview and Outbreak Detection, Response, and Coordination with Partners |
- Michelle Dethloff, ND Health and Human Services
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| Michelle Dethloff, Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Unit Director Michelle Dethloff has worked at the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Disease Control and Forensic Pathology Section, since 2005. She began her career coordinating influenza, West Nile virus and vector-borne disease surveillance activities. In 2010, Michelle took over the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Program. Her program manages surveillance and response for foodborne and waterborne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, vectorborne diseases, zoonotic diseases, syndromic surveillance, influenza and other respiratory diseases, healthcare-associated infections, and the section’s electronic disease surveillance system. Michelle also has experience responding to novel, and emerging diseases and often will help lead surveillance responses and planning activities. |
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Dr. Mark Strand
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Progress Against the Opioid Epidemic: Report from the ONE Program |
- Mark Strand, North Dakota State Unviversity
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| Mark Strand is professor in the departments of Pharmacy Practice and Public Health Program at North Dakota State University. Mark earned his PhD in Health and Behavioral Science from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2004. He teaches epidemiology, chronic disease prevention, and research design to pharmacy and public health students. His current research focuses on the epidemiology of chronic diseases, with a particular emphasis on opioid harms. |
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Alicia Belay
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Panel of Lived Experience |
- Moderator: Alicia Belay, ND Health and Human Services
- Panelists:
- Leslee Williams
- Reginald Tarr
- Zachery S. King
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| Alicia Belay currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Community Engagement Unit at the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. She has a doctorate from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Social and Health Psychology and a master’s degree in public health from Gondar, Ethiopia. Her focus in the last 10 years has been on health equity and maternal outcomes, with a special focus on the postpartum period. Outside of playing with her two rascally boys (3 and 6 years), Alicia dedicates her free time to a small nonprofit that she helped to found in 2018, which provides job training and microloans for women in Africa. |
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Brian Houle
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Harmful Algal Blooms and Public Health |
- Brian Houle, ND Department of Environmental Quality
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| Brian Houle is an environmental scientist with the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, where he manages the Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) monitoring program. Brian has a diverse background encompassing geotechnical drilling, outdoor education, and sustainable energy. He works to bridge the gap between surface water management and implementation of sustainable practices to increase water health. |