Dr. Christine Wey Hockett is Director of Community Research, and Lead of the Data Management and Analysis Core at Avera Research Institute (ARI) and an Associate Professor and ARI Division Chief in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. Dr. Hockett is a Lifecourse Epidemiologist, her research examines how modifiable factors on an individual- and social-level may shift the trajectory of chronic disease risk throughout the lifecourse, with a specific interest in cardiometabolic conditions and mental health. She uses both observational and intervention methods to identify and target health factors that can reduce the risk of disease and improve the health of future generations. She has been working with rural and American Indian populations for over 15 years focusing on maternal & child health epidemiology, health disparities, and health informatics. Dr. Hockett has a wide range of experience working in different sectors of public health: government, academics, and private companies and has implemented various data collection and surveillance methodologies in an array of settings.