Infectious Disease Research

Elisabeth Marnik, Ph.D. (Speaker) – Executive Director, The Evidence Collective

Dr. Elisabeth Adkins Marnik is a scientist, educator, and nationally recognized science communicator dedicated to making science accessible, engaging, and relevant to all audiences. As the Executive Director of The Evidence Collective, she leads national efforts to translate evidence into accessible, responsible public communication and to support independent voices working at the intersection of science, health, and policy. Her work focuses on building trust, countering false information, and ensuring communities have access to science they can use in their daily lives. As Chief Scientific Officer for Those Nerdy Girls, she helps shape evidence-based communication for world-wide readers, emphasizing empathy, clarity, and trust-building in the face of false information. Through Science Whiz Liz, she creates accessible content that makes science feel human and empowering. Liz’s work has been featured on Science Friday, HuffPost, and other media outlets, and she was named to Mainebiz’s 2025 “40 Under 40” list for her leadership and public impact.

M. Elle Saine, MD, PhD, MA (Moderator) – Postdoctoral Fellow, Infectious Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

M. Elle Saine, MD, PhD, MA is an infectious diseases physician-scientist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania whose research examines how stigma shapes health care access, policy, and equity. Her work focuses on the intersection of infectious disease epidemics—including HIV and viral hepatitis—and the opioid crisis, using innovative mixed methods approaches to identify and reduce structural barriers to care. She is a member of the SHEA Public Policy and Government Affairs Committee and the Vice-Chair of the Community Health and Prevention Impact Area at Doctors for America.