Olivia Vaz

Olivia Vaz is the David Lab’s project coordinator, managing operations, logistics, and partner relations for public-facing initiatives, namely the citizen science project Everyone EATS and the Durham Community Wastewater Project. Olivia joined the lab in early 2026 after completing her PhD in Epidemiology at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she most recently worked with the Union of Concerned Scientists and for the Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases. Her dissertation explored the impacts of COVID-19 on HIV testing and diagnoses in North Carolina. She holds an MPH from Emory University as well as a BA in Biology and Society from Cornell University. In her free time, Olivia enjoys cross-stitch, choral singing, and taking care of her pet turtle, Dr. Turtle.