In January 2025, Anjali Deshpande began a two-year term as president of the Iowa Public Health Association (IPHA) Board of Directors. In this role, she will help guide IPHA in fulfilling its mission to be “the independent voice for public health in Iowa.” The organization—made up of over 500 members from academic, governmental, and private sector public health across the state—provides networking, professional development, education, and advocacy opportunities to support public health in Iowa.

Deshpande, clinical associate professor of epidemiology in the UI College of Public Health, has been an IPHA member since 2016. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate from Emory University. Prior to her role at the University of Iowa, Deshpande was a research assistant professor in the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, a communicable disease epidemiologist at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, and a Consultant Epidemiologist in Chronic Disease at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

She shared her thoughts about public health, serving as IPHA board president, and what she would like to help the organization accomplish during her tenure.

Thinking about your own background—as a kid growing up, as a young person, as a college student—what experiences sparked your interest in public health and epidemiology?

As an undergraduate I studied microbiology but was also very interested in anthropology and culture. I went to a graduate program in microbiology and took an elective class that was basically a disease and society course. That’s when I “discovered” public health and epidemiology. I changed paths and went into an MPH program. That was when I was bitten by the public health bug. As my mentor Ross Brownson says: “The one infectious disease you don’t want to get rid of.” I had an amazing internship at the Oklahoma State Health Department in the Communicable Disease office. I had so much opportunity to be in the field, investigating outbreaks, etc. I loved it because I could use my microbiology knowledge to improve people’s health in a real and tangible way.

How do you think your experiences and your work in both public health practice and academic public health have prepared you for the role of IPHA president?

My research focus was cancer prevention and control for 10+ years before I came to the University of Iowa, but I still tried to keep one foot in public health practice particularly through teaching a national training in evidence-based public health. When I came to Iowa, I had the opportunity to pivot and really focus on workforce development through training and projects with state and local health departments. I joined the Iowa Public Health Association (IPHA) when I moved to Iowa so that I could meet other public health professionals and get to know the lay of the land. Additionally, my role as MPH director when I came to Iowa as well as my general approach to teaching in the MPH program made connecting students with public health practice my main mission.

What are the top priorities of the Iowa Public Health Association in 2025?

IPHA’s mission is to unite and strengthen the voice for public health in Iowa. Our top strategic areas are to strengthen public health practice through training, networking, and education; build a public health movement through lobbying and advocacy; and align our own organizational infrastructure and capacity through financial sustainability and building a diverse leadership to do this work. Our role is often as a convener to bring people and partners together. We know that there are many areas that IPHA can be involved in, and we have to balance our passions with our current capacity. Having said all of that—this year IPHA is celebrating its 100^th anniversary! We have a birthday bash planned at the 2025 Public Health Conference of Iowa (PHCI) on the evening of April 1, and we look forward to seeing all of our members come and celebrate with us! We deserve a night of celebration, mutual appreciation, and fun!

What do you see as the major challenges facing the field of public health today, here in Iowa and beyond our state’s borders? 

A major challenge facing public health is funding—this is obviously not new, but it is different now. Since the pandemic and particularly since the run-up to the 2024 election there has been eroding trust in institutions, science, and public health specifically in Iowa and across the US. The other challenge I see is that people are less willing to put themselves out there, less willing to volunteer and get involved.  We are seeing policy changes at the state and federal level that will disincentivize young people from entering public service, public health, and even our public health-adjacent sectors. We often say that the work of public health is “invisible.” Our nature is to keep our heads down and do the work. This is a time to make the invisible visible.

At a time of so much uncertainty surrounding public health, what is the best way for an organization like IPHA to respond? How can IPHA advocate for the work that happens in the field of public health and support the professionals who do this work? 

IPHA is constantly thinking about the role that it plays and the influence that it has. We try to influence the national conversation on public health through our role as a state affiliate of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and reaching out to Senators Grassley and Ernst on issues that impact the public’s health. But we must realize that our greatest influence is within the state. It is important for IPHA to continue its advocacy efforts in Iowa. We do this through hosting a legislative forum, educating state and local candidates for political office, maintaining a policy tracker during legislative session, and training students and practitioners on the importance of advocacy. We also want to continue to build partnerships with other organizations that do work in specific topical areas such as maternal and child health, mental health, violence prevention, etc. Over the past year we have also been building our civic engagement muscles—working with our membership on how we can collectively organize the narrative around public health in our state. We are doing a pre-conference workshop ahead of the 2025 PHCI to continue this work.

What role does IPHA play in preparing students for future roles as public health professionals?

Advocacy and education/professional development are central to IPHA’s work, and students are a huge part of that. IPHA works with undergraduate and graduate public health programs across Iowa. Our members are active guest speakers in all of the different public health disciplines.  Additionally, IPHA hosts interns, practicum students, and AmeriCorps members throughout the year. Students are encouraged to join our committees and present their research and projects during PCHI. At the University of Iowa, the College of Public Health pays for students to become members of IPHA and provides funds for students to present their work at the annual conference. Student members are encouraged to attend IPHA’s annual meeting (April 1 at lunchtime) as well as attend this year’s Awards Celebration, which will be held in conjunction with CPH.

In closing, do you have any words of wisdom you would like to share or a quotation or person that inspires you?

Hmm, words of wisdom.  I’ve been reading a lot over the past few years about community organizing and creating gatherings that bring in diverse voices. A quote that has gotten me thinking lately is: “If you don’t learn how to practice power, someone else will do it for you—in your name, on your turf, with your voice, and often against your interests.” This is by Eric Liu in his book titled You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen. I also find a lot of wisdom and inspiration in the weekly writings of Dr. Sandro Galea in his newsletter, The Healthiest Goldfish, and in the phrase “public health is a team sport,” which I first heard from my long-time mentor Ross Brownson at Washington University in St Louis.