Olivia "Liv" McCollum is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology at the UW, where she received her MPH in epidemiology in 2024 and her B.S. in medical anthropology in 2022. Olivia completed her master's research under the guidance of her mentors, Dr. Patricia Pavlinac and Dr. Jennifer Slyker at the Global Center for Integrated Health of Women, Adolescents, and Children (Global WACh). Her research primarily focuses on pediatric enteric disease and the use of biomarkers to understand chronic enteric dysfunction in infants and children living in low- and middle-income countries. She is also proud to be working alongside her colleagues at the Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program for her third year as a research assistant assessing community firearm violence prevention programs and using qualitative methods to understand firearm usage and storage techniques in behavioral health settings. As a woman with an invisible disability, Olivia is a strong advocate for supporting and including disabled women in STEM, specifically in epidemiology and public health. Olivia is always open to meeting with other students and discussing graduate school, career options, or just chatting about pets and hobbies!
