background

Ariel Balaban (she/her) completed her PhD in Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, and received a Master of Health Science (MHS) from the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has a strong interest in digital health communication, particularly with increasing accessibility and acceptability of health information. She has worked on a variety of Johns Hopkins research projects related to topics such as overdose prevention and response, COVID-19 prevention, vaccine hesitancy, tobacco control, climate change, and improving health outcomes for populations susceptible to HIV. Her most recent research has been with the University of Maryland Prevention Research Center exploring strategies promoting tobacco/nicotine prevention and quitting among LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. She has taught as an adjunct professor at University of Maryland in Health Informatics (HLTH672) and works in the University Career Center supporting both undergraduate and graduate students with professional development. She also has experience as a proud organizer for UMD’s Graduate Labor Union (UMD-GLU), and is committed to securing collective bargaining rights and healthier, safer conditions for workers across different sectors. She now works as a Communications Specialist with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), where she brings her background in health and digital communication to support workers and strengthen their ability to communicate, organize, and advocate for their communities.