Cambridge health specialist joins The Dallas Morning News

Dr. Seema Yasmin

Dr. Seema Yasmin, a Cambridge-trained epidemiologist, has been appointed as a University of Texas at Dallas professor in practice, as well as a staff writer specializing in public health for The Dallas Morning News. Dr. Yasmin will translate important public health issues for in-depth articles aimed toward general audiences.

"The News is exceedingly pleased to bring Dr. Yasmin to Dallas," said Bob Mong, editor of the Morning News. "Seema's experience is unmatched in Texas journalism, and our readers are going to be well served by her work."

Dr. Yasmin brings a wealth of public health experience to North Texas. Before joining the paper, she was an epidemic intelligence service officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also served as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

"We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Yasmin join our faculty, and look forward to her contributions to better understanding of public health, in and out of the classroom," said Dr. David E. Daniel, UT Dallas president. "The opportunity to offer such expertise to our students is something we embrace, and we believe the Dallas-Fort Worth community as a whole can benefit from this partnership."

Dr. Yasmin received her bachelor of science in biochemistry at Queen Mary University of London, continuing her education at the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine where she became a doctor of medicine and surgery. She also recently completed work as a Global Journalism Fellow at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs. The fellowship trains subject matter experts such as Dr. Yasmin to become journalists.

"My interest as a public health doctor and journalist lies at the intersection of community health, poverty and place," Dr. Yasmin said.

Her work in Arizona brought her close to public health issues on the U.S and Mexico border. One of her areas of expertise is West Nile virus infection. She assisted the Navajo Nation Division of Health as a technical expert and also has experience working in Kenya.

She joins other Morning News journalists with strong scientific training. Projects reporter Sue Ambrose has a doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis, and Anna Kuchment, who joined the staff last September, was a senior editor at Scientific American. Dr. Yasmin will report to Thomas Huang, Sunday and Enterprise editor. Huang has a master's degree in electrical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Yasmin is the latest subject matter expert to join the Morning News staff and a local university. Previously, Mark Lamster became the paper's architecture critic and also serves as a professor in practice at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Richard Brettell joined the Morning News as arts critic last September, and also serves as a professor and holds the Margaret McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetic Studies at UT at Dallas.