Kelli Gribben

In one sentence, what is public health to you?

Public health is an interdisciplinary field focused on advancing the health of our communities through research and practice.

What inspired you to study public health?

Through my undergraduate studies and volunteer experiences I saw an opportunity to join a workforce that is passionate about helping people live their healthiest lives by utilizing knowledge and skills from a wide range of disciplines to positively influence change at a population-level.

What has been the single most rewarding experience of your career/studies so far?

Working alongside and learning from a collaborative team of researchers from medicine, basic science and public health to answer critical questions to advance knowledge to ultimately reduce disease morbidity and mortality.

Advice:

Take the time to explore your interests through volunteering, participating in student organizations or graduate assistanships because the field of public health is so diverse you really aren’t limited in what you can do.

What do you think is the biggest challenge that the public health field should be focusing on?

Reducing health disparities and inequalities, increasing access to preventative care (i.e. cancer screening, wellness checks, vaccinations, etc) and emerging infectious diseases.