The task at hand | Information Center

Brian Labus

’15 Doctorate in Public Health
School of Public Health Alumnus of the year

When COVID-19 exploded into a global pandemic, Brian Labus knew the effects would be devastating. He also knew it was time to use his vast skills to help prevent the situation from getting even worse – and that’s exactly what he did.

An infectious disease epidemiologist with two decades of public health experience, including epidemic investigations, Labus was quickly named to Governor Steve Sisolak’s five-member statewide task force. UNLV’s assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics was tasked with advising state officials on the scientific aspects of the pandemic, as well as serving as a de facto spokesperson who handled local media inquiries. and national.

Labus was also the principal investigator of the state contract research program, leading a team of more than 200 UNLV public health students who have been hired to help identify and contact those who may have been exposed to people who tested positive for COVID-19. The contact tracing team has investigated about one in six cases of COVID-19 that have occurred in Clark County.

“Leading a team of 200 student contact tracers was a new experience for me, and it made me step back and think about what kind of leader I wanted to be,” said Labus, who spent 15 years in the office. of Clark County Health District Epidemiology. before joining the School of Public Health professors in 2015. “It all comes down to a quote I’ve seen attributed to a number of good leaders: Hire good people and stay away. Beyond that I would add, “And fully support them whenever they need it.” ”

Labus’ work has been featured in numerous academic and professional publications, and he has received several academic and research accolades, including the 2018 Outstanding Teaching Award for the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health of the School of Public Health and the 2008 Public Health Program of the Year Award from the Nevada Public Health Association.

Not bad for someone who landed in their field somewhat by accident.

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in public health?

As a biology major at Purdue University, the plan was to attend medical school. It was during a microbial ecology lab that I started working on infectious diseases, and I really enjoyed that. My last semester as an undergrad I came across a course in epidemiology and thought it would match my interests and career goals. It only took a week or two to realize that infectious disease epidemiology was what I wanted to do with my life.

In what ways will the COVID-19 pandemic change society’s perceptions of public health in the future?

When public health is working the way it should, epidemiologists are in the background – no one thinks about things that were avoided because they didn’t happen. Epidemics propel us to the fore, but the general public forgets us quite quickly when the emergency is over. If COVID looks like past pandemics and major national epidemics I’ve worked on, the government will pump a ton of money into public health for a few years, but people will soon forget about us and move on to the next crisis – just like they would. did so after anthrax, SARS, West Nile virus, 2009 H1N1 influenza and Ebola.

The interesting changes will concern the social aspects of society. If we change the way we interact, we can change the patterns of disease.

In your experience, of which three attributes should every public health professional strive for to have an unlimited supply?

You cannot work in public health without unlimited optimism. You constantly run into roadblocks and see your best plans fall apart, and you need to be able to step back, regroup, and not lose the motivation that makes you do what you do.

Also, because we spend so much time making recommendations that affect millions of lives, you better have a lot of self-confidence. While it is imperative to listen to others and trust the science, you must believe that what you are doing is best for the community. If you can’t convince yourself that this is the case, you can’t convince anyone else.

The last thing is something that public health professionals probably won’t hear very often: you need to make work fun. I spent the last year doing something that I absolutely love – it was my Super Bowl. Don’t get me wrong: I never want a pandemic to happen, but if it does, I’m thrilled to be able to be a part of stopping it. Years from now I’ll look back at all the things I’ve done and smile because I have to make a difference by doing something I love. If you can find that in a career (public health or otherwise), you will never leave it.

If you could go back in time, what practical advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

It’s the same advice I’ve given to many of my team members: it’s good to take a break and take some time for yourself. The success or failure of any public health response does not depend on your work to the exhaustion.

Oh, and go to a lot more concerts.