Denise Riedel Lewis

Name: Denise Riedel Lewis
Place of Employment: National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Heather, United States Department of Health and Human Services
Job Title: Epidemiologist
Education: B.S., Medical Technology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT
Ph.D., Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 

Denise Riedel Lewis, Ph.D., M.P.H. is a Washington, DC native and grew up in Bethesda, MD.  She enjoyed Girl Scouting as a Brownie, Junior, and Cadette Girl Scout.  In junior high school, Dr. Lewis first thought she would like to become a veterinarian, but realized that there were other pathways in medicine and science.  Dr. Lewis chose to major in medical technology as an undergraduate because this offered a stand alone career.  At the same time, the medical technology major also offered a peek at different aspects of medicine and work in a variety of settings including hospitals, medical schools, and clinics.  After earning her B.S. in medical technology, she worked in the microbiology laboratory at The George Washington University and met the infection control nurse/hospital epidemiologist.  There, she learned about epidemiology and epidemiologists as "medical detectives" that solve medical mysteries, and work on problems to find answers, like working on a puzzle.  From that point on, Dr. Lewis pursued higher education in the field of epidemiology.  Since completing her education, Dr. Lewis has worked primarily in the Federal Government.  Her work as an epidemiologist has given her environmental experience at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, primarily concerned with drinking water quality and arsenic concentrations, and additional experience in food safety and foodborne outbreak investigation with the United States (U.S.) Department of Agriculture.  Her present position is as an epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health.  At NCI, she primarily works with cancer surveillance data to detect what the incidence and mortality rates are for various cancer sites and analyze other factors that are associated with cancer.  At times, her work has taken her to various locations to do field work in the U.S. including water treatment plants, food processing plants, the Utah desert, and locations outside the U.S. including Canada, France, Greece, China (Beijing and Inner Mongolia), and Australia.  She also is a member of several epidemiology and public health professional societies, and has discussed her research at scientific meetings.  In 2011, Dr. Lewis was recognized for 20 years of Federal service.

What is the greatest challenge you’ve encountered during your career in STEM?
My greatest challenge was completing my Ph.D.  However, by maintaining focus and determination, it is possible to conquer this hurdle.

What do you think is the most exciting thing about having a career in STEM?
I like my STEM career in epidemiology, because I've always had an inquiring mind.  There is always something new to look at.  It may take time to achieve the final result, but once there is a final result, it is very satisfying and you have a sense of accomplishment.

If you could give one piece of advice to a girl who is considering doing a Silver or Gold Award based on STEM or pursuing a career in STEM, what would that be?
Read up on your subject, do your research, and talk to as many experts as you can find.  Then, "go with what you know" and try to extend those ideas just a bit to make your project an original contribution.

If you were a Girl Scout, what is your favorite Girl Scout memory?
My favorite memory is camping with my Junior troop.  Girl Scouting provided my first opportunity to try camping.  Our troop went to Brighton Woods, Camp Crowell, and Bay Breeze.  I also liked doing the badge activities together with the other girls.  Our troop was a multi-grade troop with patrols.  For parts of the year, we would split up to work on badges separately in smaller groups.  Then we would meet back together again as a large group.