2025 Colorado Epidemiology Conference

Taylor Foley is the One Health Epidemiologist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Her work focuses on the surveillance, prevention, and control of zoonotic diseases throughout the state and provides consultation to local public health agencies, academic partners, medical and veterinary professionals, members of the public, and other stakeholders. Taylor earned her Bachelor of Science in microbiology from Colorado State University, where she researched novel mosquito control methods and arbovirus transmission. She obtained her Master of Public Health in epidemiology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where she studied global health and neglected tropical diseases.

Bernadette Albanese, MD, MPH serves as El Paso County Public Health’s Co-Medical Director as well as Adams County Health Department’s Medical Officer. As a public health physician, Dr. Albanese has wide-ranging experience in infectious diseases, immunizations, surveillance and population health epidemiology, and she has contributed to applied public health research. Dr. Albanese uses epidemiologic data to improve the health of our communities, educate the public about disease risks, and inform public health policy.

Michael Ruddock, BA, is the Public Health Policy & Public Affairs Senior Advisor for the Adams County Health Department. Michael has 7+ years of legislative and government affairs experience across two states (Colorado and Michigan), working predominantly within the non-profit and governmental sectors. While his career has largely revolved around work in public health and climate, he has also been lucky enough to dabble in policy sectors including housing, economic security, agriculture, and more. Michael lives in Aurora, CO with my fiancée and two cats.

Heidi Ryschon is currently working as a Disease Intervention Specialist at the El Paso County Public Health Department in Colorado Springs, CO. She obtained a Master’s of Public Health in Epidemiology from the Colorado School of Public Health in August 2022. As a Disease Intervention Specialist, the bulk of her work focuses on conducting epidemiological investigations of enteric and vaccine-preventable diseases.

Lia has been working at El Paso County Public Health as a Disease Intervention Specialist for two and a half years. In this role, she investigates and tracks various communicable diseases. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Public Health Education at Bradley University in Illinois and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Public Health at Boston University.

Shirin is a Disease Intervention Specialist at El Paso County Public Health in Colorado, where she investigates mainly enteric, respiratory, and vaccine-preventable diseases. Originally from Germany, Shirin brings a global perspective to her work, supported by her extensive experience living on multiple continents. She has almost completed a Master’s of Public Health in veterinary public health, with a focus on zoonotic diseases and One Health.

Gabe Elson is the RSV Epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s RSV-NET Program, which is one of 14 sites that participate in CDC’s Emerging Infections Program (EIP). In this role, he helps coordinate active surveillance of RSV-associated hospitalizations in the Denver Metro area. Gabe earned his MPH from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2023 and has experience in environmental health, enteric disease, and viral respiratory disease response at both the local and state levels in Colorado.

Dr. Joni Adelman has been involved in public health in Mineral County in some capacity since 2011 and with the Silver Thread Public Health District since its formation in 2016. She earned her Master of Science and FNP credential in 2014 and later received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice and Master of Public Health in 2024, all from the University of Colorado Anschutz campus. Joni has been instrumental in the development and implementation of public health programs to increase access to care, including research on blood lead levels in Mineral County and prevention initiatives like WNV surveillance. When she is not at the public health office, Joni enjoys spending time outdoors with her four daughters in the mountains.

Paul is a long-time resident of the San Luis Valley and has an extensive work history as a registered nurse in the area. His work includes emergency nursing, medical-surgical nursing, long-term care, and nursing education, to name a few. He has been working most recently in public health for the last 9 years and has been the Executive Director for Costilla County Public Health for the last 5 years.

Samantha is a Field Epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, supporting rural counties and tribal partners in Colorado. Samantha has over 13 years of experience in public health, serving in various roles/programs including but not limited to public health nursing, emergency preparedness, epidemiology, communicable disease, maternal child health, substance abuse prevention, home care administration, immunization manager, grants management and public health director. She holds a Masters of Nursing with an emphasis in Public Health.

Dr. Oruganti is a veterinarian and epidemiologist. She completed her undergraduate degree in Anthropology, an MPH, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University. She has been a Field Veterinary Medical Officer with the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services- Field Operations based in Colorado Springs since 2022. At USDA, Pallavi enforces federal and state animal health regulations, advises on biosecurity protocols for livestock facilities, and is a foreign animal disease diagnostician. She has served in numerous roles in the HPAI outbreak response since 2022 in Colorado. She has an interest in global public health, One Health, and zoonotic disease prevention and policy.

Heather Reider is the Avian Health Program Manager at the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories and serves as Colorado’s Official State Agent for the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). She represents the western region on the NPIP General Conference Committee and is an active member of the AAAP Small Flocks Committee and the AVMA Committee on Poultry and Other Avian Species. Her work centers on poultry disease surveillance, biosecurity training, and multi-agency coordination for outbreak response.

Dr. Chris Roundy is the state public health entomologist for Colorado with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. His work focuses on the surveillance, prevention, and control of disease vectors throughout the state, including mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and kissing bugs. Dr. Roundy also serves as a subject matter expert as needed for county public health officials, local mosquito control districts, and academic partners within Colorado and regionally through his role as an investigator in the CDC Rockies and High Plains Vector-borne Disease Training and Evaluation Center. He has led an expansion of the state’s tick surveillance program, helped countries throughout Colorado grow their mosquito and West Nile virus surveillance programs, and assisted with the response to the emergence of an invasive mosquito species, Aedes aegypti, in western Colorado. Dr. Roundy obtained his PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Texas Medical Branch, studying vector-virus interaction between Zika virus and various mosquito species, and obtained his Masters of Sciences in Public Health studying tropical medicine at Tulane University.

Stephanie Faren, MSN, MPH, is a dedicated public health nurse and the Manager of
the Communicable Disease and Emergency Management Division at Boulder County
Public Health. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northeastern
University and holds both a Master of Science in Nursing and a Master of Public Health
from California State University, Long Beach. With over 20 years of experience in public and school health across California and Colorado, Stephanie has held key roles in communicable disease prevention and emergency preparedness. She previously worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, focusing on HIV/AIDS and emergency response initiatives. After relocating to Colorado, she served as the Director of Health Services for the
Boulder Valley School District (BVSD), where she co-led the district’s COVID-19
response in collaboration with local public health agencies. In July 2024, Stephanie joined Boulder County Public Health as a Division Manager, bringing together her expertise in public and school health to address the evolving needs of both sectors. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her horse, chickens, and garden. She is also a proud parent of two children who will be graduating from high school in the coming years.

Stacy Farman, RN, BSN, CIC, is a public health nurse and a member of the
Communicable Disease Team at Boulder County Public Health. She received her
bachelor’s in nursing at the University of Wyoming and is currently enrolled at the
University of North Texas for her MPH in public health administration. She has worked
in public health for more than 15 years in both Wyoming and Colorado. Early in her
career, she served in the Air Force as a nurse and an officer. Stacy has worked with
several large hospital systems as an Infection Preventionist, and she is certified in
infection control since 2006. She led the LTCF Team for Boulder County during the
COVID pandemic. In her free time, she likes to bake for other people, and take hikes,
and snowshoe. She has two adult children and several granddogs.

Nick Laramee is a Communicable Disease Epidemiologist II at Boulder County Public Health (BCPH). He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in Public Health and Emory University Rollins School of Public Health with an MPH in Global Health and certificates in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Complex Humanitarian Emergencies. He has experience as an HIV/AIDS Outreach Coordinator, a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa, a COVID-19 epidemiologist with Community Care of North Carolina and Fulton County Health Department, and a CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellow in the Communicable Disease Branch at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) before coming to BCPH.

Alicia Zelaya grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2018. She began her professional career as a Data Specialist for the HIV/AIDS clinic at Michigan Medicine before pursuing an MPH at the Colorado School of Public Health. During her master’s program, she worked as a graduate research assistant, researching Maternal and Child Health outcomes. After graduating with her MPH in 2022, she worked as a Clinical Research Professional at the Colorado University- Anschutz Medical Campus, studying pediatric nutrition in Latine populations. Alicia is a Communicable Disease Epidemiologist at the Adams County Health Department in Colorado and a mentee in the CSTE Mentorship program.

LaKia Thomas brings 15 years of experience in community agencies and public health. A native of Denver, CO, she holds a B.S. in Biology and a Master of Public Health. LaKia currently serves as a Communicable Disease Epidemiologist at the Adams County Health
Department. Her diverse background includes work in environmental health and community health, and she currently works in communicable disease epidemiology. She gained notable recognition for her exceptional management of COVID-19 cases and the development of effective disease mitigation strategies. In addition to her professional work, LaKia is a dedicated mother, actively supporting her two daughters’ aspirations. She is also involved in several professional affiliations, including the 2024 CSTE Mentoring Program, serving as a contributing member of the Denver NAACP Health Committee, and providing data analysis support for a Maternal Health community organization to ensure equitable access to resources for women and families of color.

Sally Born is the Environmental Health Manager at Mesa County Public Health. She has worked in public health for 13-plus years at the local and state levels and loves public health! She serves as the Treasurer for the Colorado Environmental Health Association (CEHA) and has attended the Colorado Epidemiology Conference, but is excited to be a presenter this year! Outside of work, you can find her hiking, playing volleyball, or volunteering with a local animal rescue.

Dr. Maggie Clark is an environmental epidemiologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences at Colorado State University (CSU). She also holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health. Maggie’s research and mentoring focus on health and household energy in low-resource settings globally. Areas of focus include identifying and interpreting appropriate measures of exposure and indicators of future disease risk, elucidating factors that may confer increased susceptibility to the adverse health effects of air pollution exposures, and conducting studies with a community-engaged lens. With an emphasis on active learning and engaged learning, Maggie teaches courses in epidemiology and environmental health to graduate and undergraduate students at CSU.

Cameron Davis is a CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellow and is completing his fellowship at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. As part of his fellowship, he is engaged primarily with enteric and zoonotic diseases and related outbreaks. He earned his MPH in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.