Data Maven at the CSTE 2026 Annual Conference

Our team traveled to Boston to showcase new research and connect with public health professionals.

This June, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Annual Conference brought together more than 2,800 public health experts from across the country to celebrate 75 years of epidemiology guiding the way. The event served as a premier hub for sharing expertise and best practices across a broad range of critical areas, including informatics, infectious diseases, substance use, chronic disease, and maternal and child health.

Zoe Portlas and Samantha Liv were on-site to celebrate 75 years of CSTE!

We had a great time hosting a booth at the expo, where we caught up with our project partners from CSTE and met with many old and new friends to talk about the future of public health. As a company, we bring a unique perspective to public health problem-solving, and our work exemplifies what we do best: expertly navigating large datasets to uncover the problems and solutions that matter most for health equity. 

Sarah Milder caught up with one of her mentors, Richard Danila, retired Deputy Epidemiologist from the Minnesota Department of Health.

Two of our teammates showcased their work with research posters at the conference. In her presentation on Using Disaggregated Data to Uncover Asian American Breastfeeding Initiation Gaps, Samantha Liv highlighted the critical need for disaggregated racial/ethnic data in maternal health. Meanwhile, Zoe Portlas provided a vital look at mental health trends among disability groups with a poster on Increases in Reported Frequent Mental Distress by Disability Group Between 2016 and 2024.

Samantha Liv at her poster session on Asian American breastfeeding initiation gaps.

Zoe Portlas at her poster session on frequent mental distress by disability group.

Samantha Liv shares her findings with a conference attendee during the poster session.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Data Maven booth to connect with our team and discuss Samantha’s and Zoe's research. We look forward to next year’s conference!

Data Maven is a women-owned public health consulting firm with nearly 20 years of experience turning complex datasets into clear, actionable insights, tailored reports, and custom health tools. Whether you are a public agency, nonprofit, foundation, or research team, let us bring our analytic expertise to your next project.