Partnering with multiple health care providers and communicating directly with patients across the Milwaukee area, Abigail A. Nickrant has worked as a communicable disease specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services since 2022. She provides education on disease management and risk reduction by teaching individuals how to recognize signs and symptoms in themselves and others. Ms. Nickrant’s responsibilities include discussing sexual practices and partner dynamics to assess exposure risks, making vital community connections to facilitate testing and treatment, and reducing infection rates by ensuring timely screening and care for all affected individuals. With widely recognized expertise in sexually transmitted infections like syphilis, she collaborates closely with physicians and nurses to validate diagnoses and ensure that appropriate treatments are offered and administered correctly.
Leading to her current role, Ms. Nickrant laid a strong foundation in laboratory science and infectious disease diagnostics as a non-certified medical technologist at Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories. Focusing on hematology within a laboratory setting, she diagnosed infectious pathogens in blood samples both on-site and in hospital laboratories. Her health care journey began in 2015 as an intern for the Milwaukee Health Department. During this experience, she gained hands-on experience in environmental health and microbiological analysis while working on a research paper focused on public health services.
Alongside her growth in the public health field, Ms. Nickrant showcased her prowess in cosmetology and sales, most recently as master barbette at Leopold Men’s Salon from 2020 to 2022. Her previous experiences in this space include time as a master stylist at Salon Thor, travel department sales support at the National Museum of World War II Aviation, retail salesperson at Trashy Diva Lingerie Boutique, independent stylist at M Salon, and senior barbette at Groom for Men.
Ms. Nickrant’s career trajectory soared thanks to her academic background, which included obtaining dual degrees. She earned a concurrent Bachelor of Science in biology and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Alverno College in 2015. Further, completed coursework in epidemiology at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in 2017, enhancing her knowledge in the field. She was also certified in cosmetology, barbering, styling, and nail instruction by The Institute of Beauty and Wellness in 2005, followed by recertification in the same subjects from the Milwaukee Area Technical College in 2021.
Having grown up on a Wisconsin farm, Ms. Nickrant attributes her success to the strong support provided by her large family, which includes more than 20 cousins. She draws inspiration from her grandparents’ legacy as dairy farmers who didn’t complete high school, yet raised 10 children who all graduated from college. This tradition of perseverance and pursuing education has profoundly influenced Ms. Nickrant’s values and ambitions.
Throughout her professional life, Ms. Nickrant has been recognized for her scholarly contributions. In 2015, she researched and presented the full history of the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic to the Columbia History of Science Group — a milestone she considers her most significant achievement. She also contributed to a Milwaukee Public Health Laboratory publication comparing the history of public health responses between 1918 and 2009 and delivered a presentation on the California drought that same year. Moreover, Ms. Nikrant is the editor-in-chief for The Willow Wind Warbler, a family newspaper that provides regular updates on the extended Nickrant family.
Ms. Nickrant’s dedication to public health and advocacy extends beyond her career. She has organized outreach projects and supported well-being through past affiliations with the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Inc., and preparedness initiatives for the City of New Orleans. Amid her diverse endeavors, Ms. Nickrant enjoys being around people and collaborating with a local yoga studio to create wellness programs that promote holistic health within the community. She is also developing a murder mystery game in her free time.
Looking ahead, Ms. Nickrant is committed to advancing pharmaceutical approaches to sexually transmitted infection prevention by promoting programs such as pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis, also known as PEP. She aims to expand outreach efforts that educate populations across all age groups about risk reduction strategies while ensuring that every community she serves has equitable access to prophylactics, birth control options, comprehensive education, and treatment resources.