Student Spotlight: Mackenzie Simon-Collins

Published
By
Mary Alice Yeskey
Mackenzie Simon-Collins

Meet Mackenzie Simon-Collins 

  • Degree Program: BA/MSPH 
  • Area of Interest: Maternal, fetal & perinatal health;  with certificates in Population Health, Adolescent Health, and Maternal & Child Health
  • Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
  • Previous Degree(s) Earned: BA in Public Health Studies and Behavioral Biology from Johns Hopkins University
  • Fun Fact: I love horseback riding. I grew up on a horse ranch in central Florida, and I was so excited to keep riding in college. I was the President of the Johns Hopkins Club Equestrian Team for two years. 
     

What sparked your interest in public health? 

My interest in public health began when I became interested in nutrition in high school. I adopted a plant-based diet for its nutritional benefits, ethics, and concern for climate change. At Johns Hopkins, I learned how nutrition interacts with system-level factors like the social determinants of health. This led me to co-found the Alternative Protein Project at Johns Hopkins, where we published manuscripts with Sight And Life, produced business consulting reports for noodle manufacturer Monde Nissin, held panels with alt protein CEOs, and much more. 
 

Why did you choose Bloomberg School of Public Health? 

As an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins, I really enjoyed living in the Baltimore community and being a part of the public health research ecosystem. Thinking about what I want to accomplish in my gap years before medical school, I thought the Bloomberg School would be the perfect place to further hone my skills and increase the depth of my knowledge in maternal and reproductive health. 
 

What led you to join the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health? 

My interest in maternal and reproductive health began in January 2020, when I studied abroad in Uganda through the Johns Hopkins Department of Public Health Studies. While there, I conducted interviews with mothers about their reproductive and obstetric experiences, and I really enjoyed hearing all the mothers' stories from a global health lens. In college, I explored this interest more through research and service opportunities. The highlights of my experiences include monochorionic twin research with Dr. Mara Rosner, necrotizing enterocolitis & breast milk research with Dr. Jennifer Liedel, and my clinical volunteering with The Violet Project.
 

What is one experience in PFRH that stands out as a favorite or most memorable? 

The course "Clinical Aspects of Maternal and Newborn Health," taught by Dr. Pamela Donohue and Dr. Donna Strobino, stands out as a memorable experience in PFRH. Their course was incredibly interesting and reaffirmed my aspiration for practicing as an OBGYN while participating in public health initiatives. 
 

Tell us about your field placement.

I am completing two field placements. My first placement is with High Five for Prenatal to Five under the mentorship of Dr. Eliana Perrin. I am conducting a landscape analysis of health services available to children in Maryland for future publication. I am also helping with the implementation of this program's early childhood development services. My second placement is with Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. I am conducting qualitative research through key informant interviews to better understand barriers and disparities in maternal health in rural Transylvania for future publication.  
 

What do you hope to do or accomplish after graduation? 

I am applying to medical school this summer. My aspiration is to practice as an OBGYN in a medically underserved area in Florida, utilizing my public health training from BSPH to better understand my future patients and continue public health research to tackle health disparities in maternal and reproductive health.