The School of Public Health Welcomes New Assistant Professor Amanda Miller
San Diego State University welcomes new assistant professor Amanda Miller to the School of Public Health. Miller brings over a decade of public health experience to SDSU, including evidence-based intervention research in low- and middle-income countries.
Miller started working in global health as an intern with the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa. There, she was exposed to the "broader structural and equity issues shaping health,” she said, which inspired her to find ways to make a stronger impact in these communities. This experience led her to the realization that she required formal public health training to achieve this objective.
She decided to continue her education, earning a master’s in global health and a Ph.D in public health. She began taking on projects aimed at improving health systems in low- and middle-income countries.
“Over time I realized that producing evidence is only part of the story. What really matters is whether that evidence gets used in practice,” Miller said. “I want to help make sure research doesn’t stop at the paper stage but moves into real programs that are scalable and sustainable.”
This realization, she said, led to a focus on implementation science in her postdoctoral training.
She has several projects she is currently working on. Her main project aims to reduce “hazardous alcohol use” and improve antiretroviral therapy adherence for expectant fathers and their pregnant partners in Uganda.
“It’s a really exciting project because if it’s effective, the health benefits could extend across the whole family unit,” she said.
The project is supported by a K01 Career Development Award. The award helps researchers like Miller transition into independent research careers by providing project funding and resources for further training, according to the National Institutes of Health website.
Another project of hers, supported by two grants, works to improve vaccine confidence and improve vaccine uptake across the lifespan in Uganda. A third study focuses on reducing alcohol use during pregnancy in South Africa.
Miller’s typical day begins with a team call to Uganda or South Africa. The next part of her day, now as a professor at SDSU, is spent preparing for class and writing.
Teaching, she said, is an opportunity to pass on the mentorship she received throughout her career. She enjoys helping students connect public health ideas to real-world applications.
“I’m so grateful for the support I received along the way as I figured out who I wanted to be when I grew up, and I want SDSU students to know I’m here to support them in that same way,” Miller said. “My door is always open.”
