Bertram Presents at Public Health Conference

Sarah Bertram presenting at APHA.

Lee alumna Sarah Bertram recently presented her research on type 2 diabetes and vision loss at the American Public Health Association (APHA) conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is the organization's largest public health gathering of health professionals in a variety of disciplines.

Bertram graduated from Lee University in the spring of 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in health science. During her time at Lee, she was a McNair Scholar and conducted research on the lifestyle of college students. The presentation she submitted to APHA was titled "Type 2 Diabetes: Knowledge and Behavior Risk Assessment of College Students," and surveyed the risks of type 2 diabetes in college students to find out how their lifestyles affect that risk.

"American Public Health Association is one of the biggest associations of research in the United States," said Bertram. "I knew it was a long shot to be accepted to present, and it was unbelievable to find out my research made it to a national conference."

Bertram's research process involved studies on the diet and exercise habits of college students around the United States to find out the "golden standard" of health for those at risk, as well as a survey about lifestyle practices both during school and over summer breaks. Her research found that many college students had healthy lifestyles.

"College is where you develop a lot of habits that will follow you for the rest of your life," said Bertram. "It's important to raise awareness to college-aged students, because many people don't realize they have type 2 diabetes before showing signs."

The APHA conference included various symposiums, guest speakers, and a large public health exposition that focused on several topics within the medical field and featured hundreds of exhibitors. Bertram was invited to present her research in the exposition's optometry section, which involves the study and treatment of the eyes and vision.

"It was encouraging to see others pursue the betterment of patients specifically in optometry," said Bertram. "I am honored to have had the opportunity to present. I am thankful to my mentor, Dr. Pamela Hobbs, who encouraged me to apply and guided me in my research."

"I am so proud of Sarah," said Dr. Hobbs, associate professor of health science at Lee. "Not only did she present her research at the state level, but she was chosen through a peer-review process to share her research with other public health scientists at the National APHA meeting. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to work with her."

Bertram is currently enrolled in Pellissippi State Community College and is in the process of applying for optometry school. She hopes to continue to research the connection between type 2 diabetes and vision loss.

For more information about APHA, visit apha.org.

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