Katherine Theiss-Nyland earned her Bachelors degree in 2006 at the University of British Columbia, Canada, in Sociology and Microbiology. In Vancouver, Katherine worked with commercial sex-workers and injection drug users to both prevent and manage HIV and drug abuse. In 2006, she moved to Malawi, East Africa, to serve in the US Peace Corps as an HIV and Infectious Disease Community Health Advisor. In Malawi, Katherine founded an NGO focusing on malaria treatment and prevention for children orphaned or infected by HIV/AIDS. She worked with local and international programs to reduce cholera, schistosomiasis, and TB infection. Currently Katherine attends UC Berkeley, where she is an Epidemiology/Biostatistics MPH candidate. Katherine’s Council Fellowship placement is at WHO headquarters in the reproductive health and research department. At WHO, Katherine worked on projects in maternal mortality, family planning, and malaria infections during pregnancy. Her interests are in HIV, infectious disease prevention, and maternal and child health. Katherine plans to pursue a career in a national or intergovernmental organizations.
