Kimi Li

Hi! My name is Kimi and I’m a current senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. Throughout my time at Penn, research has played a pivotal role in shaping my academic and professional journey. I’ve been fortunate to develop a wide range of skills across various lab settings, under the guidance of such kind and supportive mentors. It is due to my positive experiences with research that I hope to give back to future students wanting to get involved with research! 

With a strong background in health services, clinical research, and wet bench labs, I’m passionate about mentoring peers who are just beginning their research journeys at Penn. Coming into Penn, I didn’t know about the numerous types of research opportunities or whether it was common to explore as widely as I did. Nonetheless, my explorations with research have allowed me to discover my deep interest in health disparities research, particularly the intersection between public health insurance, health equity, and patient outcomes. I am grateful for the diverse experiences I’ve had and other skills that I picked up along the way, which have ultimately guided me towards my current focus in research.

As a CURF RPA, I am eager to share my experiences, from working on impactful projects like conducting literature reviews on racial disparities to running KASP reactions benchside. My goal is to empower students to confidently pursue their research interests and make the most of the opportunities available at Penn. After graduation, I hope to attend dental school and start a clinic to advocate for underrepresented minority patients, from both sides as a provider and researcher. Please feel free to reach out with any questions on getting started with research, securing summer funding and grants, managing work-school life balance, or simply sharing more about my own research journey! 

Research Positions and/or Programs:

• Health Services Research Assistant, Coauthor | University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (May 2023 - Present)
• Health Services Research Assistant | University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (May 2023 - Present)
• Clinical Research Assistant | Neuroscience Biorepository Project, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Division of Neurology (August 2022 - May 2023)
• Clinical Research Assistant | Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Cardio-Oncology Clinical Research Program (June 2022 - November 2022)
• Undergraduate Research Assistant, Mullins Lab | University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (May 2022 - August 2022) 

Research Awards: 

• Coauthor of “Poorer Nurse Staffing in Black-Serving Hospitals” published in Nursing Research, selected for podium presentation at the American Academy of Nursing’s State of the Science Congress and poster presentation at the 2024 AcademyHealth Research Conference (Summer 2024)
• Wharton Dean’s Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research (SUMR) Scholar (Summer 2023)