What attracted you to the field?
A few winters ago, I was snowboarding at Stevens Pass in the Cascade Mountains and took a bad fall that ended with my needing stitches. When I was getting first aid at the bottom of the mountain, the ski patrol medic asked me to explain where the fall happened and showed me a map of where accidents took place.
It was a fascinating thing to see, with darker red spots in some of the icier parts and a pink glow lighting up the areas with newer skiers. Now, while every individual accident, mine included, could have resulted from a variety of causes, by tracking all of these injuries, the ski patrol team could get an understanding of how these accidents came about. Through the numbers you could see a story.
I think similar stories can be told for many of the problems in the world, and my interest in health metrics stems from the belief that analyzing and understanding data can help us better see the world we live in.
What work are you doing at IHME?
At IHME, I’ve been working on the Monitoring Costs research team. The team’s goal is to collect data on the cost of health care in a variety of countries by doing on-the-ground surveys of health facilities. Data on cost of care are extremely scarce, and hopefully the data we collect will be valuable to countries or non-governmental organizations who would like to do cost effectiveness analyses.
One thing I’ve really enjoyed about the team is that there’s a very country-specific focus for each person. That style allows you to really get to know an area of the world. So far I’ve been working on our projects in Colombia, Argentina, and the Philippines. I’m figuring out how to begin sampling of health facilities.
How do you think your experience at IHME will contribute to your future work?
It’s very difficult to predict where a career will go. I would like to spend mine working in public health, but that path can take a variety of turns. What I see as the greatest advantage of working at IHME is the chance to develop a more analytical mind.
Walking around the office, it’s very clear that people here have an intensely focused way of viewing the world. That acuity of thought is something I hope to develop during my time here. It’s a trait that I believe will be an asset in any field.
