Laura Turpen is an epidemiologist, with over 7 years of experience in infectious disease prevention and response in Southern Oregon. She is currently serving as the Regional Epidemiologist for Coos, Douglas and Josephine County and the Communicable Disease Program Supervisor for Douglas Public Health Network. Laura is passionate about advancing health equity and social justice in her community. Before moving to Oregon, Laura served as a Peace Corps Health Volunteer in the Gambia, West Africa from 2015-2017. Her work during that time focused on malaria and pediatric malnutrition prevention and treatment. She earned her Bachelor of Science and Master’s degree in Public Health from Tulane University’s School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outside: swimming, hiking, biking, and snowboarding.