About Dr. Katie Schenk

Dr. Katie Schenk is an infectious disease epidemiologist and public health informatics specialist. She has global experience in research and implementation of interventions to prevent and control infectious disease epidemics.

Dr. Schenk has served on the public health frontline throughout the COVID-19 pandemic at US State and local Health Departments. She has worked for CDC Foundation as a member of their COVID-19 Corps and has served as a member of the U.S. Medical Reserve Corps in the COVID-19 emergency response.

She is also an active teacher, researcher, and practitioner within the field of public health and epidemiology. She has taught courses in Public Health and Global Health as a professor at the School of International Service of American University (Washington, D.C.) and the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University (Fairfax, VA).

Dr. Schenk was the co-Principal Investigator on an NIH-funded research study exploring HIV status disclosure among children and caregivers in Zimbabwe.

Dr. Schenk has designed and conducted fieldwork for research projects collecting data to improve decision-making for healthcare delivery globally. She has conducted fieldwork in diverse global settings, including in Kenya, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, and Zambia.

Dr. Schenk excels at translating complex topics into engaging and impactful resources for diverse audiences including community groups, program implementers, public health leaders. She has presented the results of her scientific research at conferences around the world. She has conducted many trainings for varied audiences worldwide, both in-person and online.

Dr. Schenk is a contributing writer at JPHMP Direct where she publishes a regular column on “Lessons from the Public Health Frontline” to constructively analyze issues affecting the public health workforce. She is currently working to build community among public health professionals by founding and managing a variety of initiatives, including the Public Health Connections Lounge and the Public Health Book Club.

Previously, Dr. Schenk led the research portfolio on children and families impacted by HIV at the Population Council. This portfolio included a range of social and behavioral research studies addressing vulnerable children and pediatric antiretroviral treatment.

Dr. Schenk obtained her PhD in Public Health and MSc in Medical Demography from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She also has an honorary Masters degree from the University of Oxford.

Dr. Schenk lives in Washington, D.C. with her family.

Teaching

Dr. Schenk is a skilled teacher and lecturer with many years of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at universities. She has presented the results of her scientific research at conferences around the world. Outside of the academic setting, she has conducted many trainings for varied audiences worldwide.

Courses include:

• Global Health (small high-level undergraduate course, American University, School of International Service)
• Global Health (large introductory undergraduate review course, George Mason University, Dept of Global and Community Health)
• Introduction to Human Health and Disease (undergraduate review course, American University, Department of Health Studies)
• Behavioral Research Methods (graduate seminar, George Mason University, Dept of Global and Community Health)
• International Research Ethics and Methods (graduate seminar, George Mason University, Dept of Global and Community Health)

Faculty Profiles

• Dr. Katie Schenk, School of International Service, American University
• Dr. Katie Schenk, Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University

Education and Training

• Privacy and Confidentiality Training– Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services / Medical Reserve Corps (2021)
• CDC Foundation COVID-19 Corps Certificate of Completion – CDC Foundation (2020)
• Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: methods for detection, prevention, response and control – World Health Organisation, Health Emergencies Program (2020)
• Making Contact: A Training for COVID-19 Contact Tracers – Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) (2020)
• COVID-19 Contact Tracing – Johns Hopkins University (2020)
• COVID-19: Tackling the Novel Coronavirus – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2020)
• Ph.D., Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK (2008)
• M.Sc., Medical Demography, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK (1999)
• M.A. (Oxon), Philosophy, Politics, Economics, University of Oxford (Keble College), UK

Fieldwork

Dr. Schenk has designed and conducted fieldwork for research projects collecting data to improve decision-making for healthcare delivery globally. She has conducted fieldwork in diverse global settings, including in Kenya, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, Zambia and Zimbabwe.