Vanessa Caiazzo is a second year PhD student at NYU Rory Meyers and is currently a T42 Occupational and Environmental Health (OEHN) pre-doctoral fellow. Her initial degree was in Sociology and Womens Studies. She began working in the field of public health and earned a Masters of Public Health from Hunter College. Vanessa worked in nonprofit doing insurance access advocacy work with NYC’s low-income elderly population. She subsequently went on to work for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the Office of Correctional Public Health (OCPH). OCPH was a research arm of the DOH focused on the health of, and disease prevention for, NYC detainees, including mother/baby wellness and HIV testing and prevention. In 2010 Vanessa earned an accelerated BSN from NYU. Within the field of nursing Vanesssa has a wealth of experience within critical care at St. Luke’s Hospital, perioperative orthopaedic nursing at NYU’s Hospital for Joint Diseases, and the management of nurses assessing those on Medicaid for home health services.
Throughout her career Vanessa has always held a deep commitment to promoting and protecting the health of New Yorkers, especially those who are disenfranchised and vulnerable.
Her current research interests are in line with her current personal experiences as a new mother. Interests include breastfeeding and return to work, as well as work-life balance for new mothers.
