Dr. Karen Niemchick is an Associate Professor, and serves as Practicum Coordinator for the MPH program at Grand Valley State University. She received her PhD in epidemiology from Walden University. She also holds a Master’s in Health Science from GVSU and a Bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from the University of Toledo. She was a research assistant for a project involving Feeding Circuits in the Brain.

Her dissertation evaluated cognition in elderly individuals based on concentrations of antioxidants in the blood serum.

Dr. Niemchick has worked in higher education for over 20 years teaching classes and laboratories in cell biology, human anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and in clinical programs. Additionally, she has developed classroom curriculum and supervised a biological tutorial laboratory. She has been involved in service-learning partnerships for the last eight years. 

Dr. Niemchick's current interests lie in public health genomics and genomic education, and in several areas of human health including neurology and antimicrobial resistance. She serves as chair on two committees within APHA’s Genomics Forum, and serves at the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute in practitioner education in pharmacogenomics and the Advisory Panel for Public Health Genetics, the National Coordinating Committee for Genetics and the Midwest Genetics Network, and the Rare Disease Network of Grand Rapids.

Current projects include several national studies on genomic education, genetic services use, telomeres and alcohol use, a training module for family physicians in pharmacogenomics, and several student projects.

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