Public Health Policy Analyst

Ava Szajnuk

Ava Szajnuk lives in Utah. She contributes to policy briefs on issues affecting public health, an area close to her heart as a rare disease patient. She has been advocating on behalf of the rare and undiagnosed community from a young age through the Rare & Undiagnosed Network (RUN). She also serves on the Utah Rare Disease Advisory Council as their youngest member. She plans to work as a professional policy analyst after college.

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Policy Briefs by the author

What We Are Still Getting Wrong About Hantavirus Preparedness

Public Health Policy

June 30, 2026

Hantavirus is a rare, fatal, and highly contagious disease, spread primarily through rodents, with no available vaccine or cure. Recent cases have been recorded in the U.S. with health organizations implementing preventive measures to potentially minimize its spread. This brief analyzes agencies’ policies and provides suggestions for future amendments, evaluating and improving their effectiveness in controlling the disease.

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Emerging Threats in Drinking Water: Microplastics and Pharmaceuticals on the EPA Watchlist

Public Health Policy

June 27, 2026

This brief analyzes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s addition of microplastics and pharmaceuticals to its drinking water contaminant watchlist. As emerging contaminants in drinking water gain public and media concern, examining the watchlist’s implications serve as a step towards protecting American’s wellbeing.

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Nutrition Reform in Public Schools: Assessing California’s Real Food, Healthy Kids Act

Public Health Policy

May 17, 2026

As chronic malnutrition-induced conditions in American children continue to rise, it becomes increasingly crucial that we examine and scrutinize potential policy that attempts to resolve these health concerns. This brief analyzes the California Real Food, Healthy Kids Act (AB 1264), reviewing its plan to phase ultra-processed foods out of public school meals by 2035, and its effectiveness as a model for national nutrition policy.

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