 My name is Allison Nalloway. I'm an epidemiologist and vaccine researcher here at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. It seems like I've always been interested in science. I can remember as a child sitting down and reading through my mom's textbooks just because I was really curious about how the body worked. That curiosity kind of stayed with me as I grew up. I was recently back at my parents' house and I found this old paper I had written in high school about the bubonic plague and had like 75 citations on it, which was kind of ridiculous. But I was so fascinated by the subject. I just wanted to read everything I possibly could on it. And I think that's really what it takes to be a good researcher. You just have to dive in and keep asking questions. As I was finishing college, I wasn't quite sure what area of science I wanted to work in. I was studying biology and anthropology and I was working on a lab at that time. And I just couldn't see a life of fruit flies and rats and microscopes in my future. And it was actually a suggestion from one of my professors that led me to a career in epidemiology. I'd gone to a party at her house and she was sitting on the floor in a pillow and she kind of leaned over to me and just said, you should go into epidemiology. For me, it was kind of the proverbial light bulb moment. I knew that epidemiology was the right fit. It's the study of disease and human populations and it has a huge impact on public health. I think there's a public perception out there that vaccines aren't safe. And while there are some side effects to vaccines, generally they're pretty rare. And I think it's really concerned about vaccine safety that have led to kind of a recent increase in people either declining vaccines for themselves or declining vaccines from their children. And that's why we're seeing a resurgence of diseases that vaccines can prevent, like measles, mumps and whooping cough. I'm really proud of the work that we do here at the center because we generate scientific evidence that can help reassure the public that vaccines are safe and effective. I love sports. I love watching them, playing them and now coaching them. So I grew up in the Midwest and I played basketball and softball and track and flag football. Now I've kind of slowed down a little bit and I'm in the golf and tennis and swimming. And I love cheering for my favorite sports teams, the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Chicago Cubs and the Portland Trail Blazers. And right now, I think I get the most joy out of watching my son and coaching my son and his teams. It's such a pleasure to see kids get to play and it's such a pleasure to see kids get really excited about sports and learn some new skills.