Krista Cooksey is a Public Health Research Coordinator in the Division of Public Health Sciences. In her undergraduate studies at Stanford University, her area of concentration was Minority Health and Policy in Underserved Communities. Her upbringing on Chicago’s South Side has inspired her career goals to understand how social determinants of health contribute to health inequalities which inform the unique health outcomes and needs in these communities. As an aspiring physician, Krista hopes to reduce health disparities through research, policy initiatives, and longitudinal community engagement and outreach centering trust, consensus building, and collaboration. She also hopes to integrate best practices in patient-centered care in her work with the I Can PIC project and her future patients.