Ciranna Bird

Ciranna Bird is a farm and food safety writer based in Raleigh, North Carolina (www.cirannabird.com). For six years, she worked at the Massachusetts State Department of Public Health in laboratory preparedness. As a liaison between the molecular genetics and virus isolation laboratories, and HazMat teams she provided training to first responders on the collection and submission of samples suspected to be a biological threat. As part of the H1N1 influenza response team in 2009, she received the Manuel Carballo Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Service.

Her interest in influenza epidemics began when she was a graduate student studying Microbiology and Immunology. During her year at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center campus she worked with Hepatitis B virus, and adenovirus in the laboratory. In 2003, she earned a Master’s degree in Epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.