Nicholas V. Resciniti received his Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in with a concentration in infectious disease management, intervention, and community practice from Pitt Public Health in 2016. Currently, he is pursing his PhD in epidemiology from the University of South Carolina, with his dissertation focusing on microbiome disruption and the longitudinal association with cognitive impairment and dementia.
Resciniti's research focus is related to understanding the biological underpinnings between physical and mental health of older adults. He is also the lead data analyst for the Data Analytics Branch for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Recently, he's focused on understanding how COVID-19 is impacting South Carolina residents and potential ways to mitigate the spread throughout the state. Resciniti provided evidence that masks slowed the spread of COVID-19 in South Carolina, which lead to the initiation of additional mask ordinances.
Resciniti on his time at Pitt Public Health: "Through my experiences at Pitt Public Health, I have learned to be an independent researcher and public health expert at the intersection of infectious disease and gerontology epidemiology. Pitt Public Health laid the foundation of my current knowledge and skills to develop my dissertation topic and current role at a state public health agency.
"While in my master's, I focused on how microbes and infectious diseases specifically impacts older adults. For my dissertation at the University of South Carolina, I am studying how microbiome disruption longitudinally impacts cognitive function and dementia. My position as lead data analyst focuses on understanding how COVID-19 impacts South Carolina residences. My master's in management, intervention, and control of infectious diseases prepared me to analyze data to understand how to best manage and control the disease to provide guidance on potential interventions. Through this knowledge, I was able to conduct an analysis that mask ordinances help to slow and control the spread of COVID-19, which lead to the initiation of more mask ordinances in South Carolina."
His favorite part of his work: "The ability to translate my knowledge into practice and discovering knowledge no one has before are the favorite parts of my job. The thrill of research never wears off. Taking an idea from a thought, building it and backing it through previous research, conducting the analysis to provide evidence, and sharing the findings through a manuscript is what drives my passion and career."
11/17/2020