August 1, 2017 – Fargo, North Dakota – Abby Gold conducts the type of action research that helps bend the curve of preventable health disparities. Gold, vice chair and associate professor in the Department of Public Health in the College of Health Professions at North Dakota State University, was invited to attend a workshop of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health on August 30 to 31 in Bethesda, Maryland.

The workshop is titled “Training the Next Generation of Implementation Researchers for Health Equity.” Experts from around the country will examine strategies to solve challenging questions in this field and provide the Institute with recommendations on research covering health equity in the U.S.

According to workshop organizers, strategies from the event will be part of an effort to launch the NHLBI’s Strategic Vision Implementation Plan. One of the goals is to develop a highly trained scientific workforce to meet future heart, lung, blood and sleep challenges in health.

Gold’s expertise includes obesity prevention, nutrition and health education, healthy food access and community food systems, disease prevention, and diverse populations. She works on local, state and national levels to find ways to improve health, particularly in underserved populations facing challenges in accessing healthy environments or options that lead to healthier outcomes.

“It is an honor to be asked to serve in such a national capacity,” said Gold. “Health inequities are preventable through research, public health practice tools, community-engaged programs and a commitment to serving all populations.”

Gold received her doctorate degree in health communication from NDSU. She received a master of public health degree from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor of science degree in human nutrition from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

“Faculty members such as Dr. Gold are leaders in their fields,” said Charles D. Peterson, dean of the College of Health Professions. “As a land grant university, our faculty members share their health care expertise both locally and nationally.”

At NDSU, Gold is part of the master of public health program with a clinical systems specialization. The master of public health program at NDSU is offered both on-campus and through distance education formats. The program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health and offers specializations in American Indian public health, public health in clinical systems, health promotion and management of infectious diseases.

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