Jaxon Abercrombie
Junior Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Major Health Innovation Minor Hometown: Pleasanton, CA Career Goal: After earning a progressive master's degree in Health Data Science at USC, Jaxon will be well-equipped for a career as a health data scientist. He has a passion for the intersection of health, technology, and statistics and believes there is great promise in health outcomes with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning. For eight years, he has lived with type 1 diabetes, for which he uses wearable technology to manage his health and has become involved in research projects that rely on diabetes management data from various types of wearables. His experience has inspired a career in helping improve outcomes in the healthcare setting with a background in epidemiology and computer science. Other Activities Involved In: Lifestyle Redesign for Chronic Conditions Laboratory at USC Chan Division of OS/OT, USC MEDLIFE, USC Photography Club, USC Data Science Club What is the most rewarding part of being a Keck Student? The most rewarding part of being a Keck student to Jaxon has been the conversations he has with peers about their career goals and reason for pursuing a major in Keck. While something like a health promotion course is not offered in high school, he finds it intriguing how other students have been inspired to study HP or GH. He also appreciates that Keck educates its students on the variety of professions associated with health in the world, encouraging students to be openminded about their future. With the help of its extraordinary faculty and unique curriculum, Keck guides students toward a memorable educational career that is crafted to fit every student’s needs. What has been Jaxon's favorite Keck class and why? Jaxon’s favorite Keck class has been HP 408: Environmental Health in the Community with Dr. Ed Avol. He is fascinated by anthropology and the way in which humans have altered and continue to alter the environment around them to meet their needs. Learning about the way in which those alterations have come back to cause health complications in humans is incredibly interesting to him. The course content extends from topics as broad as air pollution to topics as specific as how particulate matter manifests from photochemistry. This class made Jaxon more conscious about the way he lives everyday life, acknowledging even the slightest of exposures around him to have detrimental impact on his health in the long run. |