Tell us about yourself.
My name is Zelmy Allen, and I am a public health professional, health communicator, and lifelong advocate for health equity. I currently serve as a Senior Manager in Consumer Marketing for Pfizer's pediatric and maternal vaccine portfolio, where I work at the intersection of public health, consumer engagement, multicultural strategy, and vaccine confidence. Over the past 15+ years, my career has spanned community health, health education, strategic partnerships, and program development. Before joining Pfizer, I worked in healthcare systems and community-based settings, helping connect underserved populations to resources and preventive care. My passion has always been translating community voices into strategies that improve health outcomes.
I am currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) at Claremont Graduate University, where my interests include health communication, vaccine hesitancy, trust and misinformation, and the role of digital information environments in shaping health decisions. I am particularly interested in how public health can better bridge the gap between evidence and everyday decision-making.
In 2025, I was honored to be selected as an Obama Foundation Leaders USA Fellow, an experience that further strengthened my commitment to collaborative leadership, community-centered solutions, and creating lasting social impact. Outside of work and school, I am a proud wife and mother of two boys. I enjoy traveling, exploring new cultures, attending baseball games with my family, walking my Giant Schnauzer Zoey, and discovering great coffee shops wherever I go.
At my core, I believe that trust is one of the most powerful tools in public health, and I am passionate about helping build systems, partnerships, and communication strategies that make health information more accessible, relevant, and equitable for all communities.
Why did you pursue a DrPH?
After more than a decade working in community health and public health practice, I wanted to deepen my ability to bridge research, strategy, and real-world implementation. The DrPH allows me to explore how trust, communication, and community engagement influence health decisions while developing the leadership skills needed to create population-level impact. My goal is to help close the gap between public health evidence and the people we ultimately hope to serve.
What are you currently excited about in your job?
What excites me most right now is working at the intersection of public health and consumer health marketing. In my current role, I help develop strategies and communications that support pediatric and maternal immunization efforts, while bringing a health equity and community-centered perspective to the work. I am particularly energized by the challenge of translating complex health information into communication that is accessible, relevant, and trustworthy for diverse audiences. As someone who has worked in both community health and the private sector, I enjoy helping bridge those worlds and finding ways to bring community insights into large-scale health initiatives.
If you could write a book about your life, what would the title be and why?
Building Bridges, Not Silos If I were to write a book about my life, I would call it Building Bridges, Not Silos. Much of my journey has been about connecting worlds that don't always speak the same language. As the daughter of immigrants, a former DACA recipient, a public health practitioner, and now a leader working at the intersection of public health and the pharmaceutical industry, I've often found myself translating ideas, experiences, and perspectives across different spaces.
What is something interesting about you that we should know?
I'm an Obama Foundation Leaders USA Fellow, a proud mom of two boys, and currently pursuing my DrPH while working in vaccine marketing. I love finding ways to connect public health, communication, and community perspectives to help people make informed health decisions.
