Julie Lam is the Founder of MaskTogetherAmerica, an organization established in response to America's COVID-19 crisis. What began as an awareness initiative promoting masked portraits evolved into a comprehensive campaign advocating for vaccination and community masking through public service announcements and narrative sharing.
The initiative demonstrates Lam's expertise in writing, street photography, and strategic communications. Operating primarily through Facebook and Instagram, MaskTogetherAmerica reaches hundreds of thousands of individuals monthly and has gained recognition within the public health advocacy community. In May 2020, Lam additionally established Mask with Us, a private Facebook group facilitating knowledge exchange among public health advocates.
Based in New York, Lam holds academic credentials from Hong Kong Polytechnic, Massachusetts College of Art, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Her professional background includes serving as creative director at prominent Boston and Manhattan advertising agencies, where she developed award-winning campaigns for Fortune 500 companies including TD Ameritrade, American Express, Motorola, and Time Warner. Her work has garnered numerous industry accolades, including The One Show, Emmy, D&AD, and The London International Advertising Award.
Following the loss of frontline workers and friends to COVID-19 in New York, Lam expanded MaskTogetherAmerica's scope to document survivor accounts and family testimonials. Her documentation of Long COVID patients serves as vital historical evidence of this mass disabling event. She further contributes to public health education through medical study annotations and educational forums focused on infection prevention strategies.
In 2021, despite vaccination, Lam contracted COVID-19, which exacerbated her pre-existing IgA Nephropathy and triggered additional autoimmune conditions. This personal experience informed her advocacy work, including speaking at the Long COVID awareness demonstration in Washington, D.C. in March 2024, where she advocated for comprehensive preventive measures beyond vaccination alone.
Lam currently serves as a community representative at NIH RECOVER, participating in engagement, communication, and authorship initiatives. Her contributions focus on enhancing clarity, accuracy, and promoting health equity, diversity, and inclusion in research and communication materials.
In 2024, under Lam's leadership, MaskTogetherAmerica coordinated with over 30 organizations to advocate for the Home Test to Treat program funding. Joining the leadership of MaskTogetherAmerica, and two other patient advocacy organizations, PAN END IT! and Long COVID Justice, Lam met with CDC officials to discuss urgent recommendations on COVID-19 isolation and prevention guidelines. She continues to press the CDC on COVID-19 prevention guidelines, emphasizing the protection of vulnerable populations and the establishment of robust public health infrastructure.
Published Works related to the project:
#MaskTogetherAmerica (New York Voice • 11/1/2020)
Humanity Behind Masks (New York Voice • 6/30/2020)
New York Mojo (New York Voice • 4/26/2020)
Viral Reality (Medium, Curator Distributed • 4/13/2020)
Mask with Me (Medium • 3/22/2020)
A Friendly Reminder about a Contagious Virus (Medium • 3/5/2020)
“You Do You” –NYC Transit System’s Self-Mockery Campaign Backfired (Medium • 9/11/2022)
