Kristine Zimmermann

Kristine Zimmermann, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Medicine Rockford. She holds an affiliate faculty position at the UIC Center for Research on Women and Gender. Her work focuses on mixed-methods research to develop community-based health strategies addressing rural and under-resourced populations, particularly in women’s health, chronic disease prevention, and technology integration for disease management. She leads initiatives to implement evidence-based practices in rural settings.

Dr. Zimmermann’s research emphasizes dissemination and implementation science, with projects including cardiovascular disease risk reduction in rural churches, postpartum home visiting programs, and evaluating public health partnerships with local health departments. Her work often addresses health equity issues such as access to care, vaccine hesitancy, and cancer disparities in rural communities.

Her recent publications highlight interventions like mHealth technology for physical activity promotion, peer-led weight loss programs, and the role of local health departments in advancing equity. Her research consistently bridges academic findings with community needs through collaborations with rural stakeholders.

In advising roles, she mentors students in public health and community medicine. Her grants focus on funding rural health initiatives through federal and institutional partnerships. She is actively involved in lab teams focused on implementation science and rural health equity at UIC.