DefeatDD welcomes new team member: Tara Petronio

DefeatDD is kicking off 2025 with a new addition to our team. Please help us give a warm welcome to our new Communications Associate, Tara Petronio! [Holding for virtual applause.]

You may have already met her indirectly: she’s jumped right in as the voice behind our social media channels. We sat down and asked her some hard-hitting questions to help you get to know the woman behind the posts.

Tell us a bit about your background. What sparked your interest in global health?

My entry point to global health was economics, which was one of my majors in college. When I took a health economics course in my senior year, I was struck by how interventions like preventive screenings could be incredibly cost-effective for governments—with many models showing billions of dollars in potential savings.

I’ve also always been interested in the challenge of “translating” complex data and jargony academic writing to make it more accessible, without losing any of the nuance. It’s doubly exciting to tackle that challenge in the field of global health, where scientists are making discoveries every day that have the potential to save lives and create a better world for everyone.

Bet you never imagined you’d know everything there is to know about diarrhea. What has surprised you so far?

Until recently, my experience with norovirus was limited to a few unfortunate outbreaks at my school cafeteria. I was surprised to learn from our recent blog that the virus is a much broader issue across the globe. Fortunately, I also learned that there are several vaccine candidates for norovirus in the pipeline—and until then, we can fall back on our old friends soap and water to help prevent it from spreading.

A book everyone should read…

For any global health pros who are looking to branch out from their usual reading list, I’d recommend Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Stoker’s voice is surprisingly modern, and he uses vampirism as an allegory for infectious diseases and illness in the Victorian era. It’s a fascinating window into how Victorians reacted to new scientific advancements like blood transfusions, photography, and the telegraph at the time!

How do you see the role of communications evolving in global health?

No matter what industry you’re in, digital communications is more important than ever. More than half of U.S. adults get at least some of their news from social media, and short-form, visual content is quickly becoming a dominant type of storytelling online. Communications pros will need to adapt to this shifting landscape to ensure they can reach the audiences that matter.

What’s something you’re excited to work on in 2025?

I’m excited to learn more about the different solutions to tackle diarrheal disease—whether it’s vaccines, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), or others. As someone without a technical background, I’m looking forward to learning from the experts and understanding how these interventions actually work.