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Student spotlight: Kimiko Krieger

Written by John Keenan
Published Apr 13, 2018

Kimiko Krieger

Education is one of the four pillars of UNMC’s mission and our students are the lifeblood of that aspect of campus life.

In UNMC Today’s Student Spotlight, we get to know some of these students, who will become tomorrow’s health care professionals.

Today we meet:

Name: Kimiko Krieger
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
Program/Year: Cancer Research Graduate Program, fourth year

What sparked your interest in cancer research?
One of my aunts passed away from ovarian cancer at a young age. While I never met her, this inspired me to learn more about our family history and genetics.

List three songs on your playlist:

“Prototype” by Outkast;
“Formation” by Beyonce; and
“Ultralight Beam” by Kanye West.

My favorite study snack is:

Twix ice cream

My favorite app is:

Pandora

List three things people may not know about you.

My entire family is from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
I’ve been able to trace back my family history eight generations to Ghana.
My first love was art. Growing up, I wanted to become a fashion designer and artist. I still draw and paint during my spare time.

4 comments

Drea Jones, MD says:

April 13, 2018 at 11:48 am

We are so fortunate to have such an inspiring and extraordinary woman here at UNMC! She was also the co-founder and now President of GRADS (Graduates and Professionals Representing Achievement, Diversity, & Service) organization here on campus and her efforts to welcome students of color on campus have been exceptional!
Sheritta A. Strong, MD says:

April 16, 2018 at 4:42 pm

I second Dr. Jones comments! Kimiko's presence has been felt on campus and in the Omaha community.
Leah Cook, PhD says:

April 24, 2018 at 2:13 pm

Exceptional student!
Marvin L. Stancil, MD says:

August 12, 2018 at 9:40 pm

Service minded young professional. Service to her fellow students and service to our community.
She has impressed me by reaching out to make all students feel included in the educational process here at UNMC regardless of your chosen field of study.
We need more students like her !

Comments are closed.

Science advocacy

A recent trip to Capitol Hill has sparked increased interest in science advocacy work for one UNMC graduate student.

Selected through an application process, Kimiko Krieger participated in the American Association for Cancer Research Early-Career Hill Day in Washington, D.C., on March 6-7. The fourth-year graduate student researches breast cancer in the lab of UNMC's Nicholas Woods, Ph.D.

During the trip, Krieger and 13 other early career scientists from across the country spoke to various state delegates to advocate for robust and sustained funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Krieger met with representatives from her home state of Georgia, as well as Nebraska, Alabama, Oregon and Washington.

"We stressed the importance of the NIH to the state's economies," she said, noting that, United for Medical Research reports that in 2017, NIH-funded awards in Nebraska totaled $108 million and supported 1,917 jobs and $271.9 million in economic activity.

In late March, Congress passed a budget for FY 2018 that included $37.1 billion for the NIH. "This was definitely a win for the NIH and the biomedical research field," Krieger said. "This was a $3 billion increase from the previous fiscal year and actually $1 billion more than what we originally advocated for."

Krieger said the experience has led her to consider a science advocacy career. "We met former scientists who went into policy and really enjoyed what they were doing. It's definitely something that I would love to pursue."

Meanwhile, Krieger encourages researchers to include time for advocacy work. "Delegates were receptive to hearing from researchers and how their lives and careers have been impacted," she said. "To hear stories from researchers themselves does make a difference."

Student spotlight: Kimiko Krieger

4 comments

Science advocacy

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