Building a healthier public health system for the people who work in it and the communities it serves
Connecting evidence, implementation, and people to make public health work better.
KDS Public Health Consulting LLC helps public health organizations, researchers, and professionals address complex challenges through research, implementation science, evaluation, public health informatics, and scientific communication.
Led by Dr. Katie Schenk, an epidemiologist, public health informatics specialist, implementation scientist, and science communicator, KDS brings more than 25 years of experience across international research, governmental public health, academia, and consulting. The work combines scientific rigor with practical experience to help translate evidence into decisions, strengthen public health systems, and improve how public health is delivered.
Whether you are designing a study, evaluating a program, strengthening surveillance systems, communicating complex evidence, or building the capacity of a public health team, KDS brings a collaborative, systems-oriented approach focused on real-world needs.
How I can help
Research, Implementation & Evaluation
Generate useful evidence. Understand what works, for whom, and under what conditions.
From research design to program evaluation, I help organizations ask the right questions, select appropriate methods, interpret findings, and use evidence to inform practice and policy.
Areas of work include:
- Research design and epidemiology
- Mixed-methods research and evidence synthesis
- Implementation science and implementation strategy
- Program evaluation and learning
- Research planning, analysis, and dissemination
Public Health Informatics & Systems
Make data and information systems work better for public health.
Effective public health depends on more than collecting data. It requires systems that can exchange information, support timely decisions, and meet the needs of the people who use them. I bring experience in disease surveillance, data modernization, and public health information systems to help organizations identify challenges and translate technical complexity into practical action.
Areas of work include:
- Public health informatics and surveillance
- Data modernization and information-system improvement
- Electronic case reporting and electronic laboratory reporting
- Data exchange, interoperability, and information workflows
- Systems assessment, strategic planning, and technical guidance
Scientific Communication & Knowledge Translation
Turn complex evidence into information people can understand and use.
Research and technical expertise have the greatest impact when findings reach the people who need them. I help translate complex scientific and public health information into clear, accessible, evidence-informed communication for different audiences and purposes.
Areas of work include:
- Scientific and technical writing
- Evidence synthesis and knowledge translation
- Reports, briefs, presentations, and educational resources
- Health communication and public understanding of science
- Communicating uncertainty, building trust, and supporting evidence-informed decisions
Experience that connects research with practice
My work has spanned research institutions, universities, governmental public health, international health programs, nonprofit organizations, and independent consulting. Across these settings, I have worked on a consistent challenge: how to turn evidence, data, and good intentions into public health action that works in the real world.
Selected experience includes:
- Governmental public health: Work at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alongside state and local health departments, including infectious disease surveillance, public health data systems, and COVID-19 response.
- International research and implementation: More than two decades of work in HIV and infectious disease research and implementation, including research and program experience in sub-Saharan Africa and other international settings.
- Research leadership: Co-investigator on an NIH-funded study developing a measure to support tailored interventions for HIV status disclosure, alongside extensive peer-reviewed research and technical publications.
- Teaching and professional development: University teaching and the development and delivery of training on public health, research methods, and related topics.
- Public scholarship and communication: Writing, interviews, and commentary that connect public health evidence with current issues, policy, and public understanding.
My approach is grounded in scientific integrity, systems thinking, collaboration, and an understanding that public health outcomes depend on both the quality of the evidence and the systems and people responsible for putting it into practice. Find out more about me here.
Strengthening the public health workforce
Public health depends on the people who do the work, yet the systems supporting them are often under-resourced, fragmented, or difficult to navigate. Workforce capacity, organizational effectiveness, and sustainable public health infrastructure are therefore important threads running through my work.
I founded The Public Health Connections Lounge, a professional community connecting more than 19,000 public health professionals, and The Public Health Workforce Is Not OK, an independent publication documenting and examining the experiences and challenges of the public health workforce.
These initiatives complement my consulting, research, and teaching by creating space for professional connection, shared learning, public scholarship, and more honest conversations about what public health needs to thrive.
Training & professional development
I also develop and deliver lectures, workshops, seminars, and tailored professional development for students, researchers, practitioners, and public health leaders.
Training can cover epidemiology and infectious disease, implementation science, research and evaluation, public health informatics, scientific communication, and the systems and workforce challenges shaping public health practice.
Sessions can be tailored to your audience, objectives, and context, whether you need an introductory overview, a practical skills-based workshop, or a deeper exploration of a complex topic.
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A collaborative, practical approach
Every organization and public health challenge is different. I work collaboratively to understand the context, clarify the problem, identify what the evidence can tell us, and develop approaches that are feasible and useful in practice.
My goal is not simply to produce a report, deliver a training, or recommend a strategy. It is to help you make better-informed decisions and strengthen your ability to put evidence into action.
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Let’s start a conversation
Do you have a research question, an evaluation challenge, a public health data or systems problem, a communication need, or a training idea you would like to explore?
You do not need to have a fully developed brief or scope of work. A conversation can help establish what you need and whether my experience is a good fit.
KDS Public Health Consulting LLC
Research. Implementation. Communication.
Connecting evidence with action to build a healthier public health system.