Andra Wilkinson, MSPH, Ph.D.

Degree(s): Integrative Physiology

Professional background, interests and expertise: Bringing research into practice! From my time working in behavioral genetics in undergrad to my time as a public health scientist today, I have always been energized by trying to take the shiny innovations of Academia's ivory tower into the messy trenches of a public health department or a doctor's office. This interest has taken me in many interesting directions, including:

• Innovating public health practice to be evidence-based at Kaiser Permanente
• Investigating youth employment problems and possibilities in rural South Africa with village and government partners while working on my Master's of Science in Public Health
• Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of postpartum depression screening as a doctoral student, in partnership with economists and physicians
• Modeling the inter-relationships between substance use and mental health issues from adolescence to young adulthood for my PhD dissertation

Now, I am a Research Scientist at Child Trends, an applied research organization that works with practitioners and policymakers to improve the lives of children and youth, where I get to nerd out about statistical analysis, data visualization, implementation science, and policy.

Hours available for mentoring per month: 2

Best professional advice: Knowing what you want to do comes from doing, not just thinking. You have to go find it! This time of your life is an incredible opportunity with internships, summer programs, volunteering, being a student to try lots of different things. While my path may seem linear now, it only looks that way in hindsight. When I was moving through it, it was messy and circuitous and that was what allowed me to find my niche.