Meet the public health professionals and social media storytellers who turn evidence-based content into compelling, creative narratives — bringing readers the trustworthy health news and information they need.

Burness, in collaboration with the American Public Health Association (APHA), is excited to announce the second cohort of Public Health Creator Fellows, a group of curious, community-minded health and science content creators who are helping shape the future of public health communication. From dismantling inequities to fighting misinformation, these creators are producing original, evidence-based content that informs, engages and empowers their audiences.

Meet the Fellows

Asha Collier (@ashakiranco): Asha Collier, MPH, MS is a public health researcher and community organizer. She has experience working for both government and academic public health institutions, including the Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. Her interests are in civic engagement, health policy and urban design. She advocates for systemic change to promote public health through content creation and as a voter registrar in Texas.

Dr. Brittney Francis (@drbfran): Brittney N. Francis, PhD, MPH (she/her/hers) is a Jamaican-American social epidemiologist, whose scholarship and advocacy efforts explore how various interpersonal, institutional and systemic determinants (i.e., structural racism, capitalism, patriarchy) intersectionally impact the development, diagnosis and management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy for Black women globally. She uses social media and her podcast “Higher Education with Dr. B Fran” to educate the general public about social epidemiology and how various structural determinants harm health globally.

Dr. Nicholas Jackson (@nick.immunologist): Nicholas Jackson, known as Nick the Immunologist, received his PhD in molecular microbiology and immunology from Saint Louis University. He is an immunology science researcher, content creator, and strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM related fields. Nick uses his platform to provide evidence-based science information in an easily digestible manner. Through his content and representation, he hopes to influence more diverse individuals to pursue careers and higher education degrees in STEM.

Dr. Jennifer Lincoln (@drjenniferlincoln): Dr. Jennifer Lincoln is a board-certified OB-GYN practicing as an OB Hospitalist in Portland, Oregon, who uses her platforms to educate and empower her 4M+ followers on reproductive health. She's an author, frequent media contributor and past President of the Society of OB/GYN Hospitalists, and has spoken at the White House and United Nations.

About the fellowship

The Burness Public Health Creator Fellowship will take place at the APHA 2026 Annual Meeting & Expo in San Antonio on November 1-4 — where the fellows will receive insider access to public health leaders, opportunities to collaborate with peers, and a national platform to showcase their work and inspire action. The APHA Annual Meeting & Expo is the largest domestic public health gathering with more than 10,000 public health professionals attending annually. This year, APHA 2026 is spotlighting the biggest names in public health, discussing how by working together we can ensure health for all across the lifespan.

It is an opportunity for the fellows to connect with leaders shaping the country’s public health agenda on critical issues ranging from vaccines and misinformation to climate change and nutrition, build connections and their networks, create public health-centric content during a key moment, and showcase the future of digital storytelling, journalism, and public health on a national stage. Fellows will also participate in a panel sharing their experience and expertise using social media to share critical public health information. Learn more below.

PANEL: Champion Conversation: Health Across the Lifespan: Content Creators and Public Health Communicators

In an era of fragmented media and information overload, content creators have emerged as some of the most effective voices in public health — meeting audiences where they are, in formats they trust. This panel brings together creators working across the lifespan spectrum, from preventive health and early childhood development to healthy aging, mental health and the social determinants that shape health outcomes at every stage of life.

This session will introduce the 2026 cohort of Burness Public Health Creator Fellows — a diverse group of health and science influencers using their platforms to spotlight stories, elevate expert voices, and shift perspectives. The conversation will focus on the ways creators serve as unique and influential bridges between the public health community and the audiences they are trying to reach. The creators will discuss their approach to ensuring the messaging and content they promote resonates with their audiences, how they break through when there is an overwhelming amount of competing news and information, the ways they listen to and engage with their followers and how they share the insights they garner from their audiences with the broader public health community.

Whether you work in communications, policy, research, or practice, this session offers a rare look at the strategies and instincts behind some of today's most impactful public health voices — and what the field can learn from them.

Featuring guest moderator and additional panelist: Jessica Malaty Rivera, The Public Good Projects

Jessica Malaty Rivera is an infectious disease epidemiologist and award-winning science communicator. She has dedicated the last 20 years of her career to emerging disease surveillance, public health policy, and vaccine advocacy. Her specialty is in translating complex scientific concepts into impactful, judgment-free, and accessible information for wide audiences. Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Infodemiology Initiative at The Public Good Projects, a Research Fellow at Boston Children's Hospital Innovation and Digital Health Accelerator, and a Researcher at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security. Between her day jobs and being a full-time mother to three young children, she dedicates several hours a week to promoting science literacy and debunking misinformation on Instagram (@jessicamalatyrivera) and Substack (makingsciencemakesense.substack.com).