Rowan Maisonneuve

IGC FELLOW    |   Global Change Center

Ph.D. Student  •  Translational Biology, Medicine and Health

Advisor: Dr. Steven Poelzing

Research Interests: Basic Science, Public Health, Epidemiology

romaisonneuve@vtc.vt.edu •  LinkedIn

Rowan began her academic career at Virginia Western Community College, where she earned her Associate’s Degree in Health Sciences. While she attended class, she worked as a caregiver for adults with developmental disabilities and severe autism. During this experience, she was exposed to the inequities in the United States healthcare system, which sparked her curiosity in public health and health equity. She then attended Hollins University, where she majored in Biology with a minor in Public Health. As an undergraduate, she began working in the lab of Steven Poelzing, PhD, on concealed, genetic arrhythmogenic diseases. Rowan is a current PhD student in the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health program with concentrations in Metabolic and Cardiovascular Science and Immunology and Infectious Diseases. She is currently working towards a public health certification and was awarded the NIH T32 Fellowship.

Rowan’s research focuses on the antibiotic load in rural watersheds caused by agricultural runoff and the effects that increased antibiotic levels in groundwater may have on cardiovascular health. As someone born and raised in rural Appalachia, her passion for health equity and personal experience with rural health disparities fuel her ambition to reduce cardiovascular health burden and to increase the dissemination and accessibility of science into rural communities.

As part of the IGC, she hopes to gain translational knowledge to elevate her science from the benchtop into bedside practice and public policy. She hopes to gain inspiration from the unique perspectives of her peers, and to contribute her own curiosity and passion for science.