For Krysta Contino ’09, working in public health is more than a career choice; it is her vocation.
“My grandfather is a physician who has dedicated his career to helping migrant farm workers in South Jersey,” says 
Contino, who majored in biology and minored in health care ethics. “Seeing his work inspired me to also pursue a career bringing health care to those who need it most.”
After graduation from Saint Joseph’s next week, Contino will be starting medical school at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, N.J. to get her M.D., as well as a master’s in public health. But this will be anything but Contino getting her feet wet in the medical profession. As an undergraduate, Contino has already made her mark in public health through a series of service trips, research projects and local volunteer work, all while serving as captain for the SJU women’s tennis team for the past two years.
Contino has worked closely with Peter Clark, S.J., professor of theology and director of the Institute of Catholic Bioethics, throughout her time on Hawk Hill. As one of the Institute’s undergraduate research fellows, Contino has had an integral role in various public health projects, including a service trip with Clark to the Dominican Republic this past winter.
“I have worked with those in poverty in the United States, but knew a trip abroad would give me a different perspective,” Contino notes. During the 10-day excursion, she worked with mentally and physically handicapped individuals in a variety of health clinics around the Dominican Republic. As part of a Summer Scholars project in 2008, Contino and Clark also made a trip to a Navajo reservation in New Mexico to offer medical assistance.
This field work has greatly influenced Contino’s work as a research fellow, and she has since published several articles on health care ethics, one of which she presented at the Global Health Ethics Conference in Seattle, Wa., in April. Contino and the other bioethics research fellows have been working hard on a water filtration system constructed of ordinary materials that could be used by migrant farmers or other impoverished individuals she has encountered in her travels. It is in the process of being approved by engineers so that it can be patented.
“There is a real problem with typhoid in third world countries, and by developing this system, we hope to help stem its spread,” says Contino.
“Working in public health allows me to combine my love for science, research and learning with my passion for service to others,” she continues, “which will in turn allow me to bring help to those who are most in need.”
Contact: Patricia Allen, Associate Director of University Communications, 610-660-3240, patricia.allen@sju.edu
