Melanie Firestone

Melanie Firestone is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Minnesota, an MPH in Epidemiology from Columbia University, and a BS in Health & Exercise Science from Wake Forest University. Prior to joining the School of Public Health, she served as a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer assigned to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Dr. Firestone's research focuses at the intersection of infectious diseases and environmental health, with particular emphasis on improving public health surveillance systems to reduce enteric infections. Her work extensively examines the role of restaurants in foodborne illness transmission and prevention, as well as effective communication of food safety messages to the public. Her expertise spans public health surveillance, infectious disease epidemiology, foodborne disease investigation, food safety practices, and outbreak response.

Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent research contributions in food safety, infectious disease epidemiology, and public health surveillance. Her work frequently involves collaborative investigations of foodborne outbreaks, SARS-CoV-2 transmission patterns, and zoonotic disease events. Recent publications demonstrate her focus on methodological improvements in outbreak detection and understanding transmission dynamics across various settings including restaurants, fitness centers, and households.

Dr. Firestone is actively engaged with professional organizations including the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists, the International Association for Food Protection, and the Minnesota Environmental Health Association, demonstrating her commitment to advancing public health practice through professional collaboration and knowledge sharing.