2026 Bridge Conference

Dr. Maayan Simckes is an epidemiologist with over 15 years of public health experience, including ten in the Pacific Northwest. She earned her PhD and MPH in epidemiology and solves complex health problems through practical, innovative, and collaborative solutions. Dr. Simckes leads efforts to improve how programs collect, analyze, and share data, amplifying the voices and strengths of youth and marginalized communities. She partnered with Tribal data leaders to advance Tribal data sovereignty and make health data more useful and accessible for Tribes and Tribal schools. In 2021, she founded the Destigmatizing Epidemiology Collaborative to help design new inclusive alternatives to harmful data practices that should be left in the past. Dr. Simckes is an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington, and regularly guest lectures, advises students, and presents to a range of audiences about public health and data equity through her business, Wellspring Public Health Strategies.