About

Kellie Vinal [vine-uhl, like the record] is a producer, writer, educator, and storyteller based in ATL. She got her start in the lab, studying the tricky ways viruses and bacteria cause disease — investigating antibiotic resistance mechanisms of MRSA and E. coli, how HIV evades the immune system, and shapeshifting mechanisms of the influenza virus and N. gonorrhoeae. These days, she explores the critical (and fascinating!) intersections of science, art, and society.

She received her B.S. in microbiology from NCSU in 2009 (with minors in genetics and biotechnology) and Ph.D. from Emory University in 2016. Her dissertation work focused on the molecular recognition and modification mechanisms of the 30S ribosome by pathogen-derived, aminoglycoside-resistance rRNA methyltransferase NpmA.

As a freelance science communicator, Kellie has organized conferences exploring that science/society crossover space (including the inaugural ComSciCon ATL), taught workshops and produced storytelling shows with The Story Collider, co-hosted the Womxn In STEMtertainment podcast, designed public science experiences with Science ATL, taught K-12 students as Scientist in Residence with mobile makerspace STE(A)M Truck, created/hosted the Wondercast YouTube series, managed social media strategy for CDC-funded SelfMade Health Network, and hosted AIB-TV’s “Surrounded by Science” kids’ TV show. She’s consulted for a wide variety of projects, including K-12 STEM outreach strategy for CDC’s Office of the Associate Director of Communication and math/dance/music mashup Seven Bridges of Königsberg.

More recently, she served as Citizen Science faculty at Bard College and host of STEAM 360, YMCA 360’s hands-on science explorations for kiddos.

These days, she leverages her experience in CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB, storytelling through written work, photo exhibits, and community partnership activations.

In her “spare” time, she finds creative, silly ways to explore nuance, movement, and empathy. And microbes.