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---
title: "anecdotes and evidence for communication design in data science"
subtitle: "by Laura Gast, DrPH MGIS MPH CPH"
image: profilepic.png
about:
id: hero-heading
template: trestles
links:
- text: "{{< fa brands threads >}} Threads"
href: https://www.threads.net/@laura_brianna
- icon: linkedin
text: LinkedIn
href: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurabgast/
- icon: github
text: Github
href: https://github.com/laurabrianna
---
::: {#hero-heading}
{.preview-image fig-align="left" width="2cm"}
## Welcome!
Welcome to my blog, a space dedicated to exploring the nuanced intersection of cognitive science, design, data storytelling, and information communication.
Inspired by wonderful discussions at a data science conference, this blog aims to delve deeper into the science behind effective information design and why its worth your time. Here, you'll find a blend of scientific insights and practical recommendations to help you craft deliverables that not only look good but are also rooted in how the human brain processes information.
Whether you're a professional in pharma, business operations, or any other field, this blog aims to equip you with ideas and actionable tips to make your data-driven messages resonate. I welcome your feedback (LinkedIn and Threads are best!), and look forward to learning from each other.
My aim is to post new content here on the second Tuesday of each month.
-lbg
:::
## About the Author
Technically an Epidemiologist, Dr. Gast has spent her career at the intersection of communicating technical work to non-technical (and often extremely busy) decision makers.
She spent several years working primarily in Southern Africa developing malaria elimination strategies and operational reporting frameworks. It was during these years where she honed her skills for communicating something highly specific and technical in as little of time as humanly possible; sometimes you only have one data viz, one slide or one sentence to convince a powerful decision-maker that your idea is worth investing in. Dr. Gast has worked on infectious and communicable disease projects in at least 10 countries.
Back in her didactic education days, she somehow managed to convince NASA to fund her Public Health doctoral dissertation. She spent several years wandering the jungles of Peru in order to figure out ways to use satellite imagery and machine learning to classify land-use land-cover changes and how it relates to mosquito-borne diseases like dengue hemorrhagic fever. Despite sleeping in a house without real doors where 3 people got dengue (and it was a 50/50 shot of waking up with 2 inches of water across the entire homestead and a mouse trying to climb the dresser to get away from the flood), she managed to complete her field work without getting dengue herself.
These days, you will find Laura living a calmer life, working for a non-profit dedicated to serving US military members and their families, wrestling with development and impact data.
In her ever-shrinking free time, Laura enjoys playing pub trivia, throwing some darts, attending live performances (comedy, rock, symphony, etc), or going on a nice long run on the US Mall.
## Education
**University of Alabama at Birmingham** \| Birmingham, AL, USA\
Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) - Epidemiology & International Health
**Brown University** \| Providence, RI, USA\
Master of Public Health (MPH) - Public Health & Public Policy
**Pennsylvania State University** \| State College, PA, USA\
Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS)
**Kansas State University** \| Manhattan, KS, USA\
Bachelor of Science (BSc) - Biology & Microbiology