Read on Twitter
1/ New series: Meet Those Nerdy Girls! First up, co-founder Dr. Alison Buttenheim. @abuttenheim is an Associate Professor at Penn School of Nursing, where she teaches & studies human behavior & the prevention of infectious disease–including vaccine acceptance. @PennNursing
2/ She does research both in the US and globally, and she’s focused strongly on social and racial justice. Dr. Buttenheim is one of our two original Nerdy Girls. Waaaaaaayy back in early March, she launched the Dear Pandemic Instagram page and then, shortly afterward, Facebook.
3/At the time, Dr. B & Dr. @malia_ailam-longtime collaborators in vaccine hesitancy research–were both posting COVID updates to their personal Facebook & Instagram pages. Colleague Dr. @AshleyZRitter suggested that they start posting COVID content on social media for the public.
4/ Her response: “I thought, ‘Yikes, she’s right!’ & the next day I got Malia to agree and the Instagram account that would become Dear Pandemic was launched!”
Check that insta account out here
https://www.instagram.com/dear_pandemic/
Facebook quickly followed
https://www.facebook.com/dearpandemic/
Check that insta account out here
https://www.instagram.com/dear_pandemic/
Facebook quickly followed
https://www.facebook.com/dearpandemic/
5/
Since much of her work focuses on vaccine confidence and acceptance, Dr. Buttenheim expects that her research will focus mostly on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance for the next year or two.
Since much of her work focuses on vaccine confidence and acceptance, Dr. Buttenheim expects that her research will focus mostly on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance for the next year or two.
6/ The Nerdy Girls were super proud when @abuttenheim was asked to join the @theNAMedicine committee to set the first consensus statement on equitable deployment of vaccines: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/a-framework-for-equitable-allocation-of-vaccine-for-the-novel-coronavirus
7/ We asked Dr. Buttenheim a few questions about her work and her life.
Why did you decide to pursue a doctoral degree?
Why did you decide to pursue a doctoral degree?
8/ “I was very interested in global maternal & child health and population issues, but by the time I figured that out I had 2 small kids 
and couldn’t drop everything and go work for UNICEF or USAID or The World Bank… so I thought the next best thing would be to get a PhD.”
and couldn’t drop everything and go work for UNICEF or USAID or The World Bank… so I thought the next best thing would be to get a PhD.”
9/What has been the most frustrating thing about the pandemic, in your opinion?
“The missed opportunities in the US in *every* *single* *month* of 2020 to get on top of it. That, or how mask wearing and stay-at-home strategies got politicized.”
What has been the most frustrating thing about the pandemic, in your opinion?“The missed opportunities in the US in *every* *single* *month* of 2020 to get on top of it. That, or how mask wearing and stay-at-home strategies got politicized.”
10/What’s your superpower?
“Coming up with good acronyms or names for new projects.” But, she notes that in spite of this superpower, it was her partner Paul who came up with the name for Dear Pandemic–a play on the old-school advice column, Dear Abby.
What’s your superpower?“Coming up with good acronyms or names for new projects.” But, she notes that in spite of this superpower, it was her partner Paul who came up with the name for Dear Pandemic–a play on the old-school advice column, Dear Abby.
If you could do the last 9 months over w/ your current knowledge,what would you do differently?“I would have ordered that case of good French rosé a lot sooner.
No, seriously, I wish I hadn’t been so slow to come around to the importance of masking & airborne transmission.”
12/Who is your hero?
“This week I’m celebrating @MonicaLennon7, a member of the Scottish Parliament who introduced legislation (& built a coalition to get it passed) that ends “period poverty” in Scotland by making period products freely available to all who need them."
Who is your hero? “This week I’m celebrating @MonicaLennon7, a member of the Scottish Parliament who introduced legislation (& built a coalition to get it passed) that ends “period poverty” in Scotland by making period products freely available to all who need them."
13/ "She was persistent, creative, and matter-of-fact in advancing this agenda that de-stigmatizes menstruation and chips away at the “pink tax” in pursuit of gender equity. Congratulations, Monica!!” @MonicaLennon7 https://twitter.com/MonicaLennon7/status/1331303354379669504?s=20
14/What you miss most from Before Times:
Hugs and spontaneous interactions with friends.
What you don’t miss at all:
Denim
What you do to unwind:
Listen to Jane Austen audiobooks read by Juliet Stevenson.
What you miss most from Before Times: Hugs and spontaneous interactions with friends.What you don’t miss at all: DenimWhat you do to unwind: Listen to Jane Austen audiobooks read by Juliet Stevenson.
15/ Fun fact about Dr. Buttenheim: She’s a beekeeper! 
16/ @abuttenheim has a PhD in Public Health from @UCLAFSPH & an MBA from @StanfordGSB . She’s also an undergraduate alumna of @Yale. After finishing her doctorate, she completed postdoctoral training w/ the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health & Society Scholars program. @RWJF
17/ Today, she is an Associate Professor @PennNursing in the Department of Family & Community Health. She teaches courses including Behavioral Economics and Health, Impact Evaluation of Global Health Programs, & Introduction to Principles and Methods of Epidemiology.
18/ Her research has been published in journals such as Health Affairs and Vaccine, & she’s been quoted on COVID-19 related happenings in The Washington Post, USA Today, ABC News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Working Mother magazine. /fin https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/live/profiles/37-alison-m-buttenheim?fbclid=IwAR2P89m-UEvAgCjepq-yF4tOeCfilRuu-aTaxW3oz6JlRCDm0Kk9QDSkIk4
