Originally from southeast Georgia, USF alumna Krys Johnson said she grew up in a severely under-resourced area.
鈥淭here were few doctors to choose from and the closest hospital with critical care specializations was 30-40 minutes away from the county seat,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n my high school health class, we learned little about proactively building and maintaining health. That lack of information was evident in the community, where people consistently mismanaged chronic conditions due to lack of insurance and resources and/or lack of knowledge.鈥�
So, Johnson set her sights on continuing her education in public health.
鈥淧ublic health is truly for the people, not a luxury for those who can afford it,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 this beautiful recognition that we are all connected and when one of our communities is at risk for a disease or poison, we all share that risk and that responsibility to reduce the risk of illness or death.鈥�
Johnson earned her bachelors of health sciences in 2013 and a master of public health with a concentration in epidemiology in 2015 from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga. where she worked closely with her mentor, Dr. Kelly Sullivan, a COPH alum.
Immediately after graduating, Johnson began her professional career at the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) as an emerging infectious disease fellow.
鈥淢y supervisor, Dr. Gregory Danyluk, also a COPH alum, encouraged me to be as involved as possible with FDOH clinical staff, research, analysis and, amid the emergence of Zika virus, emergency management personnel.鈥�
鈥淏oth of these COPH alumni were fantastic mentors, which I felt was a good reflection of the environment of COPH, so I applied to USF. Once I spoke with , COPH senior associate dean of academic and student affairs, in my interview for the doctoral program, I knew COPH was the learning environment I was looking for.鈥�
Johnson said her cohort of colleagues who entered the the same year were a great support.
鈥淢any of us were first generation college students and had little background on what to expect in our PhD journey,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur cohort meetings enabled us to share our struggles and made the journey seem a little less impossible. I made some of my best friends at the COPH.鈥�
Johnson graduated with a in the summer of 2019 and became an assistant professor of instruction at Temple University[CK1] in Philadelphia.
鈥淚 acquired over 100 media mentions during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and even won a teaching award,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen, I transitioned to a role as a research and learning manager with Habitat for Humanity, and while I enjoyed the colleagues and the work, I missed epidemiology.鈥�
In May of this year, Johnson began a new position as epidemiologist for America鈥檚 Poison Centers, the national association and accrediting body for poison centers throughout the United States. She works in collaboration to detect outbreaks of poisoning, to analyze the National Poison Data System and increase the visibility of poison centers to the public.
鈥淧oison centers are run by highly trained folks who can help you manage anything from a miscalculated medication dose to a snakebite and even food poisoning,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ithin the first month we detected and responded to a national public health threat involving mushroom chocolate bars, including a recall of the product.鈥�
Johnson pointed out the most recent outbreak identified through poison centers and data from the National Poison Data System, the time between identification of the issue and issuance of a recall was just 30 days.
鈥淭hese recalls save lives, because, when media shares information about the recalls, people are empowered to toss or return that product which could otherwise be very harmful to them or their family,鈥� Johnson said.
Within this position, Johnson said she is also using her knowledge to 鈥減ay it forward鈥� for the next generation of public health professionals and the colleagues surrounding her.
鈥淚 had great mentors and colleagues at COPH, so I aim to be a good mentor and colleague, paying it forward to every space I am in,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hile the academic components of my time at USF are integral to my success, my ability to productively and inclusively work with folks from different cultural and educational backgrounds enables me to foster authentic relationships in the workplace and to encourage folks to bring their differences to the table to solve problems related to public health.鈥�
Fast Five:
What did you dream of becoming when you were young?
I wanted to be a teacher and I have taught undergraduate and graduate level public health courses.
Where would we find you on the weekend?
Usually outside on a hike or a walk with my husband and kids
What is the last book you read?
鈥淎 Taste for Poison: Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them鈥� by Neil Bradbury
What superpower would you like to have?
Teleportation. I hate traffic - just beam me up.
What鈥檚 your all-time favorite movie?
Probably Clue with Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd and Madeline Kahn