She received her DrPH in occupational health from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, and her MSPH in biostatistics from the School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining EPH, Dr. Ellish worked as an epidemiologist in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Prior to her work in an academic setting, Dr. Ellish worked an epidemiologist for the New York State Department of Health.