I completed my PhD at the University of Washington, Institute for Public Health Genetics, in 2017. My dissertation research looked at researcher trustworthiness within community-academic research partnerships. Since then, I have focused on ethical implementation of a range of health services, including genetic testing for kidney disease risk, cancer genetic screening, and pregnancy services for people with congenital heart disease.
My interdisciplinary research experiences began with the ethical, legal and social implications of genomic research and technologies, especially as they impact American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. In addition to my 3 years as a student with the Center for Alaska Native Health Research at UAF, I spent 5 years on this topic as a staff researcher at the University of Washington, Center for Genomics and Healthcare Equality, in the Department of Bioethics and Humanities. I specialize in qualitative research methods, research ethics, and communicating about science across cultures, languages and academic disciplines. but I can hold my own in quantitative methods too.
Beyond gaining topical knowledge in my fields, the two largest lessons that I take away from my time at the University of Washington include effectively communicating across divides, cultivating humility while gaining expertise in order to be a respectful contributor to community-academic partnerships. I have been positioned in interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary and cross-cultural settings on a near daily basis, where those sitting around the table don't always share a set of values, background, or language. Taking courses in many academic disciplines, and practice in work and community settings, have taught me to listen with an open mind, and an intuition for identifying what I do not know, and to understand how language is used in different settings, so that I might serve as a translator and connector of ideas across otherwise disparate fields and groups of people. I believe we need to hear from all voices, and that these connections are integral to addressing complex Public Health problems, such as health disparities.
My professional path has been winding. I left my hometown of Guilford, CT in 1999 to attend Oberlin College, where I received my B.A. in Politics, with minors in Economics and Environmental Studies. A 2002 summer internship in electoral politics brought me to Fairbanks, Alaska, where I fell in love with the land, community and life. Upon graduating, I returned to Fairbanks, intending to stay for a few months, and there I remained for 6 years. During this time, I worked at Planned Parenthood of Alaska, waited tables, coached high school diving, fished for salmon, collected research data in the boreal forest. I went on to earn my M.S. in Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
My interdisciplinary research experiences began with the ethical, legal and social implications of genomic research and technologies, especially as they impact American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. In addition to my 3 years as a student with the Center for Alaska Native Health Research at UAF, I spent 5 years on this topic as a staff researcher at the University of Washington, Center for Genomics and Healthcare Equality, in the Department of Bioethics and Humanities. I specialize in qualitative research methods, research ethics, and communicating about science across cultures, languages and academic disciplines. but I can hold my own in quantitative methods too.
Beyond gaining topical knowledge in my fields, the two largest lessons that I take away from my time at the University of Washington include effectively communicating across divides, cultivating humility while gaining expertise in order to be a respectful contributor to community-academic partnerships. I have been positioned in interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary and cross-cultural settings on a near daily basis, where those sitting around the table don't always share a set of values, background, or language. Taking courses in many academic disciplines, and practice in work and community settings, have taught me to listen with an open mind, and an intuition for identifying what I do not know, and to understand how language is used in different settings, so that I might serve as a translator and connector of ideas across otherwise disparate fields and groups of people. I believe we need to hear from all voices, and that these connections are integral to addressing complex Public Health problems, such as health disparities.
My professional path has been winding. I left my hometown of Guilford, CT in 1999 to attend Oberlin College, where I received my B.A. in Politics, with minors in Economics and Environmental Studies. A 2002 summer internship in electoral politics brought me to Fairbanks, Alaska, where I fell in love with the land, community and life. Upon graduating, I returned to Fairbanks, intending to stay for a few months, and there I remained for 6 years. During this time, I worked at Planned Parenthood of Alaska, waited tables, coached high school diving, fished for salmon, collected research data in the boreal forest. I went on to earn my M.S. in Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Find my current project summary, dissertation research, teaching and other work in the drop-down menu.