RT: Zac, welcome to the team! First off, could you tell us a bit about your background and what led you here?

Zac: Thanks! I was born and raised in San Francisco. I did my undergrad in public health and master's in epidemiology and biostatistics at UC Berkeley. During that time, I also worked in a lab at UCSF focused on adolescent health, where my projects were centered around screen time. I was involved in the whole research process, from using the data to writing manuscripts, and found it all very interesting. 

RT: Now that you’re at Stanford, what are you working on? What does your day-to-day look like? And what are you hoping to accomplish during your pre-doctoral year here?

Zac: My role is to help with the sub-projects that are most pressing. Right now, most of my time is spent on the Australia Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) legislation evaluation. With the SMMA study, a big focus is establishing control groups in other countries for accurate comparison. 

My day-to-day can involve anything from writing ethics reviews and IRB applications to analyzing data for other studies, like an upcoming one on Brazil’s phone restriction in schools. While I know the main projects I’m on won’t be finished within a year, my personal goal is to eventually publish a first-author paper. I’m happy to play a supporting role, that’s essentially my job, but I also want to try my hand at being the primary author on a paper to grow my own capacity as a researcher.

RT: Your background is in epidemiology… how do you see that connecting to your current work on social media?

Zac: My philosophy has always been to keep as many doors open as possible. While I didn't necessarily think social media research was the specific path I’d go down, I see a direct connection. I view the new legislation in Australia as a public health intervention. We know there are real harms that children are experiencing online, and this policy is a step to reduce those harms. Analyzing its effects is fundamentally a public health endeavor.

RT: It sounds like you've had some important guidance along the way. Were there any key mentors who influenced you?

Zac: I’ve been incredibly fortunate. My undergrad professor at Berkeley, Dr. Marlon Maus, was a huge one, especially as I first started down the public health path at Berkeley. Later, Dr. Jason Nagada at UCSF gave me one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received: that everyone needs their own personal ‘board of directors.’ He said you need to find smart, experienced people who have a vested interest in your life and can offer guidance at key moments. My board was unanimous that I should take this job at Stanford, and I’m glad I listened.

RT: When you’re not focused on research, how do you spend your time? What grounds you outside of work?

Zac: A lot grounds me. I have a wonderful network of friends in San Francisco and feel lucky to still live where I grew up. Sport has always been a big part of my life—I ran track in high school and now I play club soccer, volleyball, and disc golf with friends. I also love hiking and have been to over 20 national parks. In the next ten years, I’d love to go back to Japan to hike Mount Fuji, and my ultimate bucket-list goal is to hike a long-haul trail like the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail.