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As a Graduate Research Assistant in Associate Professor Claire Spears' Mindful Living Lab, MPH student Brittany Kelley is on a mission to harness the power of data to address critical health issues.
Name: Brittany Kelley
Hometown: Conyers, Ga.
Undergraduate degree and institution: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Georgia College and State University; Bachelor of Science in Genetics, University of Georgia
Expected date of graduation: December 2025
Why did you choose the Georgia State School of Public Health?
I chose Georgia State for its flexibility and accessibility, as well as the multitude of connections with different public health institutions such as the CDC.
Which MPH concentration did you choose, and why?
I chose Biostatistics because of my love of math and health. Biostatistics allows me to apply both of these and expand upon my current research career.
What has been your favorite class in the SPH so far, and why?
My favorite class so far has been “Introduction to Programming in R for Public Health.” This class takes biostatistics, which I adored, and then goes one step further with the application of biostatistics with R Studio. This class gave me experience with analyzing data with programming software, which will be vital for my future career.
What advice would you give undergraduate students considering pursing an MPH at Georgia State?
I would recommend undergraduate students get experience before pursuing their MPH. This experience could be research in your undergraduate program or a job after graduating from undergrad. Graduate school isn’t going anywhere and knowing what your passions are will help you excel in the future.
Tell us about your campus involvement? (e.g. clubs and organizations)
I am a graduate student working with Dr. Spears in the Mindful Living Lab, which allows me to analyze data for a R01 study. The Mindful Living Lab has multiple studies attempting to use mindfulness as a pathway to promote healthier behaviors.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
I haven’t spent a huge amount of time on campus as I have taken advantage of the online coursework to obtain my degree while still working, but the Urban Life Building has many great resources for MPH students.
What’s your career aspiration?
I hope to work as a data analyst for research studies after graduating. I’ve worked as a clinical research nurse and lead research specialist at Emory since 2017. Throughout this time, I have been on the front-end of research doing a large amount of data collection. Being a data analyst will allow me to shift to the back end of research and see how all this data can be used to address health issues.