Lisa Davis: Listen to your heart and follow your passions
Photo courtesy of Lisa Davis.
Hard work and a relentless pursuit of her goals have defined Lisa Davis in her career in public health.
Since graduating from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with her Master of Public Health (MPH) in 1998, Lisa has achieved many accomplishments, including her recent book, "Clean Eating, Dirty Sex."
"I wanted to write about the scientific reasons for maintaining better sexual health, along with a memoir," Lisa says, of her inspiration for writing the book.
The book captures Lisa's love of cooking and tells readers how to prepare healthy meals. Its pages focus on improving overall health through better eating, education, and enhancing intimacy. Lisa also opens up about her struggles with sexual relationships, love addiction, and self-esteem.
When she's not writing a book, Lisa works as the host, producer, and engineer of the podcast "Talk Healthy Today."
Lisa's interest in health started with her mom, who had an autoimmune disease and was diagnosed with cancer in her 50s. After college, Lisa became a swimming instructor to help others pursue their health goals. She went on to become a personal trainer, and then decided to pursue her MPH.
At UH, Lisa found her passion in public health when she took Professor Kathryn Braun's health communication class. Lisa was inspired by Kathryn and her teaching. At the time, Lisa thought she wanted to go into epidemiology. But Kathryn told her she was a people person, and should consider health education.
"I now realize that the path I chose was the correct one for me," Lisa says. "There’s something that draws me to people."
Lisa's passion for public health grew even more when she worked on community outreach projects. "You have to care about people and meet them where they're at," she says. During an internship at a needle exchange program, Lisa put these words into practice. Although needle exchanges were very controversial at the time, she followed the science and worked to stop the spread of Hepatitis C and HIV.
Her love of podcasting began with her first job in radio. Lisa worked at a community radio station for a few years without pay, and went on to create, host, and produce the radio show, "It's Your Health," at that radio station. The show gained a wide audience and was even played on a regional NPR station in Texas for 6 years.
These days, in addition to "Talk Healthy Today," Lisa also hosts the podcast "Naturally Savvy Radio."
All in all, her career in public health has not been linear or easy. Work is never easy, she says.
"You have to have passion and be willing to work really hard," Lisa says. "To accomplish your goals and fulfill your dreams, you have to put your heart into it."
To find Lisa’s books, podcasts, and more, please visit her website www.lisadavismph.com.
--By Edmel Ronquillo, Public health undergraduate at UH Mānoa