The Midwest D-CFAR community is full of brilliant and inspiring people, and we want to introduce them to the world! For our December 2024 spotlight, we are featuring Ginger McKay, assistant professor at WashU, and director of our Dissemination and Implementation Science Core. Many thanks to Dr. McKay for taking the time to speak with us!

Could you briefly describe your career journey and research interests?

Dr. McKay: My PhD is in public health with a specialization in health promotion and health behavior. I also have a MA in medical anthropology. I first got into HIV research during my master’s program, where I worked with a small, grassroots non-profit that provided HIV education to young children in Uganda. While I was there, I developed an interest in intervention sustainability, and in applying to PhD programs with this topic in mind, I was paired with a mentor who exposed me to implementation science. I came to WashU in 2016 as a postdoctoral fellow, moved into a research faculty position in 2017, and recently transitioned into a tenure track position.

What projects do you currently have ongoing?

I have one main project that is HIV related called the Clear Path. We have created a collaborative of HIV service providers and community members to improve HIV testing in the St. Louis region. This work is being in done in close partnership with the St. Louis City Department of Health. It is being supported by the Missouri Foundation for Health, and we were just awarded a grant from ICTS to continue this work.

Ginger riding a horse — Dr. McKay riding her horse, Dolly.

Could you talk briefly about the Midwest D-CFAR’s Dissemination and Implementation Science Core (DISC)? What initiatives do you have coming up and how do you think they will make a difference in fighting HIV?

The DISC is very exciting because it takes advantage of the D&I community in St. Louis that is internationally recognized. We aim to support people working to improve the uptake and use of the many evidence-based approaches to HIV prevention and treatment. Given that Missouri is one of seven states with disproportionate HIV burden, we are looking forward to supporting investigators interested in this field through consultation and resources. As a way to draw innovative ideas from the community, we also have the Partners 4 Health contest, which encourages anyone to pitch their ideas about how best to improve the HIV epidemic in the region.

What do you do in your free time?

My partner and I have a three-year-old and two dogs, so things are pretty busy around the house! As for hobbies, I love to ride my horse Dolly (who is totally blind).

Edited by April Houston.

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