On Friday, October 7, members of the CHARM lab attended Dr. Debra Furr-Holden’s talk about social determinants of behavioral health at the University of South Carolina’s Pastides Alumni Center. The event was part of the Distinguished Speaker Series hosted by the Research Center for Child Well-Being and the Arnold School of Public Health. One of our undergraduate research assistants, Kelly Buchan, asked the first question of the event. Buchan asked Dr. Furr-Holden if she thought opting to pursue a career in research rather than medicine gave her more influence over public health policy. Dr. Furr-Holden stated that she knew she had a passion for more than just clinically-focused work and thought work as a public health researcher would better fulfill that passion. This insight proved incredibly relevant for students working with the CHARM lab, as some are deciding between traditionally clinical careers in medicine and careers in public health focused on advocacy and research.