Hi, I’m
David Abafi
Veterinarian/ One Health Professional
Augusta,ME
Summary
Interdisciplinary public health professional and One Health advocate committed to infectious disease prevention, zoonotic disease surveillance, health equity, and evidence-based, data-driven interventions.
Overview
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Informatics Epidemiologist
02.2024 - 04.2025
Job overview
- Collaborated with epidemiologists, data scientists, and public health informaticians to enhance disease surveillance, data integration, and real-time analytics.
- Led outbreak investigations and epidemiological analyses, including case identification, contact tracing, disease mapping, and implementation of targeted control measures.
- Served as cross-functional liaison between epidemiologists and informatics teams to improve health data systems, interoperability, and public health reporting accuracy.
- Utilized REDCap, ESSENCE, NBS, SAS, Tableau, and STARLIMS to support infectious disease surveillance, syndromic reporting, and data visualization dashboards.
Institute for Women’s HealthWashington, D.C.
Research Fellow (volunteer)
05.2023 - Current
Job overview
- Contributing to promoting the highest attainable health and wellbeing for women throughout every stage of their lives and worked to tackle the most pressing women's health issues through targeted action and forming strong alliances.
- Carrying out research to address Neglected Tropical Diseases affecting maternal and child health and developing strategies for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
King Oral Surgery Group, Southern Maryland
Health Administrator
11.2023 - 02.2024
Job overview
- Promoted oral health within the Southern Maryland community.
- Developed proven ability to educate the public on oral health topics, providing personalized counseling and consultation services.
- Developed and honing advocacy skills in promoting oral health policies.
Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia
Governor’s Health Fellow
05.2023 - 08.2023
Job overview
- Obtained hands-on experience with state government administration in the Commonwealth of Virginia, assisting with policy analysis, statements of needs, briefs for the Secretary and Governor’s official trips.
- Worked in the Department of Health and Human Resources under Secretary John Littel to ensure Virginians have the best possible health.
- Worked to support Governor Youngkin's behavioral health plan 'Right Help Right Now' to reform the current behavioral health system in Virginia and support Virginians before, during, and after a behavioral health crisis occurs.
Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA
Public Health Conference/ Research Assistant
10.2022 - 04.2023
Job overview
- Research presentation: Oral and Dental Health of College Students on a Private University Campus.
- Research: Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria: An Ecological Framework.
- Research: Exploration of Health Outcomes among Rural and Indigenous Populations in Guatemala.
Liberty University Student Health Center & Wellness InitiativesLynchburg, VA
Graduate Research Assistant
05.2022 - 05.2023
Job overview
- Carried out research on health education programming using the 'Nine Dimensions of Wellness' and on Oral and Dental Health of College Students on a Private University Campus.
- Developed customer service and communications skills (writing, public speaking) through collaboration, team orientation & commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.
- Participated in designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs.
- Demonstrated proficiency in campus public health assessment practices - community needs assessments, survey design, and other qualitative and quantitative methods.
Centra: Lynchburg General HospitalLynchburg, VA
Infection Preventionist volunteer
11.2021 - 05.2023
Job overview
- Performed daily infection control surveillance activities.
- Promulgated policy and procedures as new infection control information becomes available.
- Monitored adherence to proper hand hygiene in all hospital departments and investigated disease outbreaks.
- Educated hospital staff at all levels concerning infection control.
- Communicated and collaborated with local and state agencies (CDC, VDH).
Virginia Medical Reserve Corps
Epi-Response Team member (volunteer)
09.2021 - 05.2023
Job overview
- Assisted in contact tracing for SARS-CoV-2, attended various training courses on proper healthcare management.
- Reached out to COVID - infected people and helping connect them to caregivers.
University College Hospital, IbadanIbadan
Researcher
04.2021 - 06.2021
Job overview
- Company Overview: Regional lab for Avian Influenza & Transboundary Animal Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI)
- Molecular detection of the Monkeypox virus in wild rodents using RT- PCR on a Rotor G (QIAGEN Co, CA).
- Extracted viral DNA using the Qiagen protocol (QIAamp DNA Mini kit (250)).
- Analysis of data obtained from questionnaires using SPSS version 23.0 software.
- Regional lab for Avian Influenza & Transboundary Animal Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI)
Zonal Veterinary Clinic, and Grand Cereals, Limited
Veterinary Doctor
04.2016 - 04.2017
Job overview
- Awareness of the zoonotic importance of Toxoplasmosis from cats in the Katsina metropolis.
- Collaborated with fellow clinicians to embark on a campaign and free vaccination of dogs against Rabies.
- Utilized experience gained in the planning for the subsequent anti-Rabies campaigns.
- Partnered with the ‘War Against Rabies’ foundation to carry out campaigns and free dog vaccinations.
Education
Liberty University
Master of Public Health (MPH) from Epidemiology
05.2023
University Overview
GPA: 4.0
University of Ibadan
Master of Veterinary Public Health (MVPH) from Public Health & Preventive Medicine
06.2021
University Overview
GPA: 6.3
Ahmadu Bello University
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
12.2015
Websites
Affiliations
- American College of Epidemiology (ACE), 2025-01-01 to present
- Maine Public Health Association (MPHA), 2025-01-01 to present
- American Heart Association (AHA), 2022-09-01 to present
- American Public Health Association (APHA), 2021-10-01 to present
- Virginia Public Health Association (VPHA), 2023-07-01 to present
- Virginia Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), 2021-09-01 to 2023-08-01
- Liberty University Public Health Students Association (LUPHSA), 2021-09-01 to 2023-05-01
- War Against Rabies Foundation (W.A.R.), 2018-01-01 to 2021-08-01
- Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), 2015-12-01 to 2021-08-01
Professional Purpose
Interdisciplinary public health professional and One Health advocate committed to infectious disease prevention, zoonotic disease surveillance, health equity, and evidence-based, data-driven interventions.
Certifications Trainings
- Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-800, FEMA, 2025-01-01
- Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-100, FEMA, 2024-03-01
- Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-200, FEMA, 2024-03-01
- Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-700, FEMA, 2024-03-01
- MRC Cybersecurity and HIPAA Training, Virginia Medical Reserve Corps, 2023-10-01
- SAS Course Completion: Statistics- Introduction to ANOVA, and Logistic Regression, 2023-04-01
- Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research, CITI Program, 2023-01-01
- Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED, American Heart Association, 2022-09-01
- Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) Training, Samaritan’s Purse, 2022-03-01
- From Zero to NVivo 12 - Qualitative data analysis with NVivo, Udemy, 2022-02-01
- OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens, CITI Program, 2021-12-01
- Biomedical & Health Science Researchers, CITI Program, 2021-10-01
Public Health Experience
- One Health Keynote speaker, 2025 NextGen Global Health Summit, Geneva, Switzerland, 2025-05-01, I gave a speech to the Taiwan Healthcare Youth Alliance for WHA on the topic: 'Interdisciplinary Cooperation and Innovation in One Health'
- Informatics Epidemiologist, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024-02-01 to 2025-04-01, Collaborated with epidemiologists, data scientists, and public health informaticians to enhance disease surveillance, data integration, and real-time analytics.
- Research Fellow (volunteer), Institute for Women’s Health, Washington, D.C., 2023-05-01 to present, Contributing to promoting the highest attainable health and wellbeing for women throughout every stage of their lives.
- Health Administrator, King Oral Surgery Group, 2023-11-01 to 2024-02-01, Promoted oral health within the Southern Maryland community.
- Governor’s Health Fellow, Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, 2023-05-01 to 2023-08-01, Obtained hands-on experience with state government administration in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- Public Health Conference/ Research Assistant, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 2022-10-01 to 2023-04-01, Research presentation: Oral and Dental Health of College Students on a Private University Campus.
- Graduate Research Assistant, Liberty University Student Health Center & Wellness Initiatives, 2022-05-01 to 2023-05-01, Carried out research on health education programming.
- Infection Preventionist volunteer, Centra: Lynchburg General Hospital, Lynchburg, VA, 2021-11-01 to 2023-05-01, Performed daily infection control surveillance activities.
- Epi-Response Team member (volunteer), Virginia Medical Reserve Corps, 2021-09-01 to 2023-05-01, Assisted in contact tracing for SARS-CoV-2.
- Researcher, Biorepository & Clinical Virology Lab, University College Hospital, 2021-04-01 to 2021-06-01, Molecular detection of the Monkeypox virus in wild rodents.
- Veterinary Doctor, Zonal Veterinary Clinic, and Grand Cereals, Limited, 2016-04-01 to 2017-04-01, Awareness of the zoonotic importance of Toxoplasmosis from cats.
Awards
- Dean's Award, Outstanding Student Achievement, School of Health Sciences, Liberty University
- Graduate Research Award, 2nd Place: Theoretical Proposal, Liberty University Center for Research & Scholarship
- Student of the Year, Department of Public & Community Health, Liberty University College of Medicine
Community Service
- Central church, Augusta, ME, Community service, keyboardist, 2024-06-01 to present
- Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, International Student Ambassador, 2021-12-01 to 2022-10-01
- LUPHSA Health fairs, Norfolk, VA, Health Worker (Volunteer), 2022-11-01/2023-04-01
- Children Tutoring Program, PTCI, Lynchburg, VA, Volunteer, 2022-10-01 to 2023-05-01
- Africa Education Initiative Students’ Club (AEI/NEF), Zaria, Nigeria, President, 2014-03-01 to 2015-11-01
Certification
Basic Life Support (CPR and AED)
Timeline
Informatics Epidemiologist
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention
02.2024 - 04.2025
Health Administrator
King Oral Surgery Group
11.2023 - 02.2024
Research Fellow (volunteer)
Institute for Women’s Health
05.2023 - Current
Governor’s Health Fellow
Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia
05.2023 - 08.2023
Public Health Conference/ Research Assistant
Liberty University
10.2022 - 04.2023
Graduate Research Assistant
Liberty University Student Health Center & Wellness Initiatives
05.2022 - 05.2023
Infection Preventionist volunteer
Centra: Lynchburg General Hospital
11.2021 - 05.2023
Epi-Response Team member (volunteer)
Virginia Medical Reserve Corps
09.2021 - 05.2023
Researcher
University College Hospital, Ibadan
04.2021 - 06.2021
Veterinary Doctor
Zonal Veterinary Clinic, and Grand Cereals, Limited
04.2016 - 04.2017
Liberty University
Master of Public Health (MPH) from Epidemiology
University of Ibadan
Master of Veterinary Public Health (MVPH) from Public Health & Preventive Medicine
Ahmadu Bello University
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
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