Maayan Simckes

Epidemiologist at Washington State Department of Health

Maayan Simckes, PhD, MPH, is an accomplished epidemiologist currently working at the Washington State Department of Health. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington (2019), a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology from Saint Louis University (2013), and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Community Health from Tufts University (2011) .1 2

Professional Background

Before earning her PhD, Dr. Simckes served as an Applied Epidemiology Fellow with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists for two years. Her work focuses on various aspects of public health practice and applied epidemiology, particularly at the intersection of population health and the criminal justice system .1 2

Research Interests

Dr. Simckes' research interests are diverse and include:

Equity and social justice in epidemiologic methods
The impact of policing and the criminal legal system on population health
Social epidemiology
Integrating non-traditional public health data sources to address interdisciplinary questions
Dismantling stigma within public health research and practice, particularly concerning weight bias .1 3

Current Role

At the Washington State Department of Health, she is a Principal Investigator for the Washington Health Youth Survey and leads initiatives aimed at improving public health methodologies by addressing equity issues .1 2 Dr. Simckes is also actively involved in national discussions on how public health can perpetuate stigma, particularly related to weight .1

Online Presence

Dr. Simckes maintains a professional presence on platforms like LinkedIn, where she shares insights about her work and initiatives in public health .2