Amy Mellies, MPH

Amy is the newest member of our team. She answered some questions below so we can get to know her better.

Describe your role here at Team V-CREATE.

I am a programmer based out of Colorado*, supporting V-CREATE research by producing analytic datasets from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) and affiliated cohorts.

How did your path lead you here? What are some things that you did prior to joining this team?

I earned my MPH from the University of Georgia, where I focused on cancer epidemiology. I moved to Colorado upon graduation to work as a population health epidemiologist for a county health department, which eventually evolved into me transitioning into a statistical analyst role at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment where I supported the work of the chronic disease epidemiologist and associated programs. More recently, I worked as a data/GIS analyst and programmer for the University of Colorado Cancer Center assisting investigators with their cancer epidemiology research. Wanting to do more programming than analysis, I found my way here at V-CREATE!

What are you most looking forward to in this role?

The breadth of the data I am working with and the impact of the novel research that can come from it. Working with local and state data, I am all too familiar with the headaches and frustrations that come with small sample sizes. I’m excited for the opportunities these national data bring to the table.

Current Favorites…

Hobbies:

Anything that will get me outside! Hiking, camping, fishing, skiing, ATVing, kayaking, swinging in a hammock with a good book, or enjoying a good tap list on a sunny patio with friends. My way of making up for all the gray and rainy days growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I suppose.

TV show or Movie:

Yellowstone and its prequel, 1883.

Song: 

That’s a hard one. Give me a song with a little bit (or a lot) of banjo and/or mandolin and I’ll be a happy camper. 

Book:

More of a favorite book series: the Alex Cross detective series by James Patterson.

Sports Team: 

No professional sports for me, but I can be found cheering on the Washington State Cougars (undergrad) or the Georgia Bulldogs (grad) during college football season.

Quick facts

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A dolphin trainer/marine biologist.

Describe yourself in three words: 

Introverted. Adventurous. Straightforward.

Who would play you in a movie about your life?

Hmmm… I have no idea! My husband said Charlize Theron, so I’ll go with that.

Anything else you would like to share?

*A fun (or maybe crazy) fact about me: My husband and I have been on the road-trip of a lifetime since January 2021 — living and working in our RV full-time with our three dogs while we cruise around the U.S. visiting family and friends; exploring national parks and other places of interest; and daydreaming of what life would look like if we lived here or there. We have traveled nearly 17,000 miles across 26 states so far, and we hope to visit a few more places before my husband’s looming return to in-person work brings us back to Colorado.