Nicole Asa

Nicole Asa is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington. She received her MPH in Epidemiology at the University of Washington, and her undergraduate degree in public health from the Ohio State University. During her undergraduate studies, Nicole was introduced to injury and violence prevention research while working for the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she focused on physical and cognitive recovery from sports-related concussions. Throughout Nicole’s MPH program, she worked with the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (HIPRC) researching various policies aimed at reducing firearm related injuries and deaths. She also worked with the Center for Obesity Research and Action evaluating Seattle’s Sweetened Beverage Tax. Through the START Center, Nicole is excited to get involved with project management, data analysis, and investigating new topic areas. Nicole’s research interests include injury and violence prevention, nutrition, and policy.

Niki worked on six projects during her two-year engagement at START, acting as Project Manager for two of them. Below are highlights from two of the projects Niki worked on:

• Economics of Academic Publishing: The START team explored the true cost of publishing academic research and purpose potential transformative models for ways to effectively execute a sustainable open access model of publishing.
• India Mentoring Training: The Strategic Analysis Research and Training Center (START) was commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to support the India Country Office (ICO) in conceptualizing an interdisciplinary research/consultancy partnership in India. The START team was tasked with gathering evidence to understand the adaptability and sustainability of an interdisciplinary research/consultancy partnership and identify key institutions and organizations that are exemplars in interdisciplinary research.

Niki had this to say about her time with START, “I had a great time being a part of START, and it was instrumental for both my professional and personal growth. I had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects, and got to develop different skills including project management, public speaking, time management, data analysis, and forecasting. The START community really contributed to experience, and it was really fulfilling to be able to work with faculty and other RAs throughout the years. I will take these skills with me throughout the rest of my PhD program and in future careers.”