Q&A with Madison Castle: From UW-Madison to Public Health in Scotland

Madison Castle, an Class of 2022 alumnus of UW-Madison’s Genetics & Genomics program, shares her journey from student to public health professional in Scotland. Currently working with Public Health Scotland, she plays a key role in data analysis for the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, aimed at reducing drug-related harm and death in the country. Madison discusses how her UW-Madison education, particularly in genetics and public health, has shaped her career. She also touches on the intersection of genetics with substance use disorders and cancer risk, underscoring the broader relevance of genetics in public health. With insights into the challenges and rewards of working in public health, Madison offers advice to current students and highlights the importance of resilience and stress management in preparing for a career in this field.

 

How would you describe your career and job position? How is this role connected to genetics?  

I work for public health Scotland which leads and supports work across Scotland to prevent disease, prolong healthy life, and promote health and wellbeing. The specific team I work for is the medication assisted treatment standards implementation and support team or what we like to call it MIST. Medication assisted treatment (MAT) refers to the use of medication alongside psychological and social support in the treatment of people who are experiencing issues with their drug use. The goal of our work is to reduce drug related harm and reduce the risk of death as Scotland drug deaths are the highest in Europe. Specifically on the team I work as an information analyst where I work with the twenty-nine alcohol and drug partnerships across Scotland to collect data on how they are meeting the MAT standards. Then I work to analyse this data and create reports which get published by PHS and used to help the government make decision on where money and resources should go to help prevent drug deaths. Genetics does play a role in public health and there is a team at PHS working on determining genetic risk regarding cancer. There are studies which have shown that substance use disorders are influenced by genetics which is something we keep in mind through our work.  

What is your job like on a daily basis?  

So, most days I work from home which is great as I love to be able to work and hang out with my cat Theo all day. My days and weeks switch up because we are in a reporting cycle so are working on creating the report, creating new guidelines, helping collect data, and building data systems. But most days I have a meeting with people inside my MIST team discussing what goals are and what everyone is working on to ensure we complete what we need to on time. Then I will have a meeting or two with different alcohol and drug partnerships answering questions and supporting them in implementing the MAT standards. Other than that, I answer emails, analyze data, create reports, and much more.  

What about your training at UW-Madison was the most impactful in preparing you for your career?  

I think the high standard of work set forth and expected by the professors really pushed me to do my best work and show me my potential. As well the diversity in classes I was able to take really allowed me to pursue what I enjoyed but also branch out and learn other things I am passionate about. From calculus and developmental genetics to sociology and literature of medicine courses. Each course pushed me in a different way and allowed me to figure out my strengths and weaknesses through many different forms of assignments, exams, and research.  

What was your educational journey following your graduation from UW like? What was the focus of your studies? 

After graduating from UW, I went on to get my Master of Public Health from the University of Edinburgh. During my program I focused on sexual health, qualitative research, epidemiology, and disadvantaged communities. My dissertation which earned me distinction was on the understanding the relationship between pleasure and SSRI use among LGBTQ+ individuals. As a member of the queer community, I was interested in how the discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals which leads to higher levels of mental health conditions affects pleasure as queer communities often have more expansive ideas and definitions on what pleasure is to them.  

What is the single person, event, or experience that most influenced your trajectory to where you are today? 

Jenny Higgins who runs the collaborative for reproductive equity was my professor during my senior year for her course public health, reproduction, and sexuality. Her passion and what we learned in this course made me realize I wanted to work more in public health than medicine as I originally thought. I had never felt so enthusiastic about the research and work we did in her class and was just in awe of what she had done. Without that class I do not think I would be where I am today as it would have taken me longer to realize what I wanted to do.  

What are the biggest challenges you face in your career or in your field? How do you or your company work through them? 

I think one of the biggest challenges working in the public health field must be the politics and uncertainty. For my team we have funding through 2026 but are unsure what will happen after. This can make it hard when trying to think of the future because we are unsure if the government will want, we are collecting to keep going or how much of a hand our organization will have in it after 2026. And I think this is something a lot of people in public health deal with as political parties can change funding and lots of public health programs can be topics of political conversation. I think the biggest way we work through this is by focusing on what we can control and doing the best work we can while we have the time and funding for it.   

What is your advice to current students interested in pursuing a career in your field?  

With public health it can be hard to get that first opportunity sometimes depending on where you are looking to work. Large public health organizations can be competitive as well as all the big non-profits in the sphere of public health. So, at first it will be a lot of applications and rejections but eventually you will end up where you are supposed to be. I believe I sent in over 20 applications at my company alone before getting the job I have now. Then once you are in the door there will be so many people to make connections with and your network will explode. I have met so many great people in my short time even working at PHS who have all been a huge help with my job and career.  

What do you believe is the most important skill for students to develop before entering the workforce?  

I think it is important for students to learn how to manage stress and be resilient before entering the workforce. There are so many ups and downs after graduating while you figure out your career and life. And sometimes it is hard, and you just feel kind of lost. So, taking the time in college to challenge yourself and have highs and lows as it is important because you can learn how to bounce back. Something I think I have learned even more in the UK and at school in the UK is about stress management. It is so important to understand the separation of your work and life. To do well at your job, you need to take time off and rest and do what makes you happy. Life is not all about work and it should not be on your mind all the time or causing severe stress. So, learning the importance of that separation during college is great because you will have a healthier life for it.  

What was your favorite class you took at UW? 

For genetics my favorite course was clinical cases in medical genetics. It was such a great class to take especially senior year as each week we got presentations often by researchers across Madison and other universities about their current medical genetics research. It was a really great way to learn and connect with great researchers in fields you may be interested in pursuing after graduation. I still remember many of the presentations and presenters because of how blown away I was by the work they were doing. And it was nice class to kind of show yourself how much you learned by reading very high-level papers and getting to discuss them with the lead researchers.  

What is your most fond memory from your time at UW-Madison? 

Oh, that is such a hard question! I have so many great memories from my time at UW-Madison from the football games, hanging out at memorial union, spending time with friends, and even studying at the library with friends. A lot of my best memories simply come from spending time with my friends at each other’s houses or apartments. There was nothing better than after a stressful day getting together with the girls to watch the bachelor or all meeting up for dinner somewhere. And I even loved the times when I was at the library with friends, and everyone was struggling during finals season, but it felt ok because we were all in it together.