Denison Alum Conducts Adolescent Alcohol Consumption Research in UK
Over the summer, Ania Wellere, a Denison University alum, interned with the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) to conduct research on the impact of alcohol consumption and unhealthy alcohol advertising in the United Kingdom.
Ania is a master of public health candidate with a health equity and social justice (EQUITY) concentration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Students in the EQUITY concentration develop skills to improve population health through measuring, identifying, and intervening to eliminate health inequities and advance social justice.
After learning about the IAS from a fellow student in her program, Ania was excited about the prospect of engaging in international health policy and found an opportunity to intern there for the summer.
I’m passionate about advancing patient-centered care and ensuring that healthcare systems prioritize equity and inclusivity.
Over the course of 4 months, Ania conducted a literature review on the effects of outdoor alcohol and unhealthy commodity advertising in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas of the United Kingdom to gain insight into how alcohol marketing can impact drinking behaviors. She even determined accountability measures for alcohol companies and provided actionable insights for policymakers and public health stakeholders.
Additionally, after months of research, Ania created a blog post, now published on the IAS website, focusing on alcohol’s impact on the adolescent brain.
“Youth drinking is a growing issue in the UK and current policy allows for underage drinking at as young 16 or 17 years if accompanied by an adult,” she notes. “There is no health benefit to consuming alcohol, and I wanted to explore how it can impact the adolescent brain.”
Ania hopes to one day work abroad in international development and patient centered care to better understand how to change the U.S. healthcare system to be more innovative and equitable.
“The current health system in the U.S. tends to miss out on addressing the needs of everyone. I’m passionate about advancing patient-centered care and ensuring that healthcare systems prioritize equity and inclusivity,” she says.
Ania is eager to apply her summer experience to continue to address the multifaceted needs of patients and foster environments where high-quality, inclusive care is the standard.
