CDC fellowship let Christie Kim explore new disciplines

With a strong interest and affinity for biology, Christie Kim, MPH, found herself heavily involved in learning more about the human body, interactions within the environment and the endless possibilities biology creates. After completing her bachelor’s degree, Kim’s motivations of expanding her interests in the human body and improving the health of all communities influenced her to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC). During her search for fellowships, Kim discovered the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), which provided her with multiple varying opportunities that sparked her interest. She knew that she could not pass up such great opportunities, so she took the courage to apply to several positions with ORISE and awaited what her future had in store for her.

A few months had passed until Kim was notified that she was selected as a fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the Office of Science Quality and Library Services (OSQLS). After hearing of her placement, Kim took her first of many leaps of faith and made a four-day cross country road trip from California to Georgia with her mom, marking start of her exciting journey. Within OSQLS, Kim was given the opportunity to serve as a Special Assistant to the Director and Deputy Director of OSQLS and has also been a was part of the Data Strategy and Analytics Team (DSAT) within OSQLS to support data science projects.

This experience has benefited me in many ways. It has allowed me to interact with leaders within public health and participate in projects and training that I could not get the same training elsewhere. It has also allowed me to expand on my skill sets and strengthen my public speaking skills, analytical skills and leadership skills, while also stepping out of my comfort zone to find success outside of my box as well!"

The CDC Research Participation Programs are educational and training programs designed to provide students, recent graduates and university faculty opportunities to participate in project-specific CDC research, current public health research and developmental activities.

As a Special Assistant, Kim assists with projects at the Office of the Director level that cover a myriad of topics which support the improvement of science quality and clearance processes within the CDC. She has supported tasks such as analyzing data on health equity science and clearance processes to generate reports on publications to contribute to the CDC’s Science Agenda and conduct consults with various centers, institutes or offices alongside the DSAT team.

Another major project Kim assisted with was the production and presentation of two products in collaboration with the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity’s (DNPAO) Breastfeeding Workgroup to program offices, branches and organizations. She collaborated with DNPAO of the yearly update of the National Immunization Survey – Child (NIS-Child) data and was presented the new data to various forums. The presentation showcased the improvement of breastfeeding rates in reaching the Healthy People 2030.

“The purpose of each of my projects vary quite a bit, but the overall purpose of each project is cross-collaboration across teams as public health is a team sport that requires interdisciplinary collaboration,” Kim said. “Each team brings a different set of expertise, which is necessary for the agency to share reliable and crucial data with the public.”

Through her experience, Kim was able to accomplish many achievements. She co-authored her first publication about maternal and child health titled, “Gains needed to achieve Healthy People 2030 breastfeeding targets”, which was published in August 2024. Additionally, Kim and her team developed best practices and training for Scientific Review and Clearance Reviewers.

“The clearance project will benefit the average American because it allows the agency to have a system to quality check the information to be shared out to the public,” Kim said. “Not only does this help the general public establish trust with federal agencies, but also, ensure that the agency can identify gaps that can be improved upon to ensure that our nation is delivering the best care possible.”

Prior to the fellowship, Kim had no experience with data analytics and data science; however, that didn’t stop her from facing new challenges head on and excelling. Through various projects and trainings, Kim was able to learn and strengthen skills she never saw herself using including implementation science, Python, R Studio and emergency response. She credits her success to her team who provided her with support in professional development and new learning experiences.

“This experience has benefited me in many ways. It has allowed me to interact with leaders within public health and participate in projects and training that I could not get the same training elsewhere,” she said. “It has also allowed me to expand on my skill sets and strengthen my public speaking skills, analytical skills and leadership skills, while also stepping out of my comfort zone to find success outside of my box as well!”

Kim expresses the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone to try new things and discover passions, highlighting that her fellowship provided that very opportunity for her. Her experience has allowed her to figure out her career aspirations and goals, grow both professionally and personally and collaborate with professionals at a federal facility.

“This experience has given me the honor to contribute to the health of our nation because public health is truly a team sport and a collaborative effort as this experience has taught me that it takes a whole village to make a change,” she said.

After her fellowship, Kim plans to acquire a full-time position that allows for her to translate the skills she learned through the fellowship at a public health agency or healthcare setting.

“I wish to learn from the other side by experiencing various perspectives because I feel that it is important to put your feet under someone else’s perspectives so you can best support them,” Kim said. “As an individual working in a federal agency, I believe it is important to put yourself in other’s shoes, by identifying gaps that you can fill and ways to improve the health of our nation.”

Kim encourages others to embrace the surprises life brings stating that whatever path you set upon will leave you with valuable skills and experiences for your next step in life.

“I believe that it is important to stay optimistic and positive as we navigate through this world because sometimes the surprises in life are what makes it exciting and helps you shape you into the person you are today,” Kim said. “I am rooting for everyone at every stage in life’s learning journey!”

The CDC Research Participation Program is managed by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) under an agreement between CDC and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ORISE is managed for DOE by ORAU.