Q&A with Kristen Mueller, MD, MSCI (she/her), associate professor of emergency medicine
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
What is your educational and professional background? I completed by undergraduate studies in biology and Spanish at St. Olaf College in Minnesota before participating in a one-year Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory Training Fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From there, I obtained my MD at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and completed my emergency medicine residency and Master of Science in Clinical Investigation at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, where I was on the faculty for 11 years before joining the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) this spring.
Why did you choose the field of emergency medicine? I like to do a little bit of everything: engage with patients and families, work in multidisciplinary teams, and get to be a part of the health care safety net for patients and families.
What is your field of research or area of clinical care, and how did you get into it? My area of research is firearm injury epidemiology, violence prevention, and violence intervention programs. I became an implementation leader for the St. Louis region-wide, hospital-based violence intervention program, Life Outside of Violence. My research is centered on program implementation and evaluation, as well as utilizing novel data sources and partnerships to better understand the epidemiology of injury.
What attracted you to UW–Madison? It has been a lifelong goal to be a Badger in my hometown of Madison. Being home in Wisconsin full time for summer, for the first time in 20 years, is also a boon. It was very exciting when job opportunities aligned in DEM with its strong clinical and research infrastructure in place to help support my programmatic and research career development. I look forward to exploring ways to adapt my previous experiences to help support health, healing, and recovery of patients in the Madison area.
Do you feel your work relates to the Wisconsin Idea — that our efforts should influence people’s health and well-being beyond the care they receive in our emergency departments? If so, please describe how. I think there is the potential for a lot of natural alignment. By its nature, my non-shift clinical and research work is strongly focused on community engagement and service. I’m also excited about the opportunities offered by SMPH and proximity to state government to interact with policymakers to help support the care of our patients.
What do you hope trainees will learn from you and your work? That trauma-informed care is for everyone, not just acutely traumatized patients
What is your favorite thing to do in Madison? Almost everything! I’m very excited to be back in lake country for the summer to get out swimming and kayaking. I’m also looking forward to the farmers’ market, Concerts on the Square, and eating ice cream at the Memorial Union. The extensive regional trail systems and dog parks here are also a huge plus!
My hobbies outside of work: Hiking, swimming, camping, reading, theater and symphony (attendee, not performer), travel, scuba, and spending time with family, friends and my pets.
If you could have dinner with one person (passed, alive or fictional), who and at where would you make reservations? Leslie Knope from “Parks and Rec,” and we would go to JJ’s Diner for Waffles.