With a relentless drive for learning and a passion for advocacy, Kimberly Williams Houston, PhD, is using her expertise to drive change – both in research administration and in advocating for students like her.
Dr. Houston previously earned a master’s degree from UT Health Science Center and has worked on the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) for six years. She graduated in May with her second degree from the College of Graduate Health Sciences—a PhD in Health Outcomes and Policy Research (HOPR)—in hopes of continuing to move up the ladder in research administration.
“I have always loved learning and furthering my education,” she said. “One thing I observed was the ceiling that I could not break through previously with only a master’s degree, deeming me ineligible to apply for more senior roles in research.”
A native Memphian, Dr. Houston developed an interest in health care from her father, mother, and sister, who all worked in the field. She studied biology and chemistry at Christian Brothers University before enrolling in the Biomedical Sciences Program at UT Health Science Center, where she studied topical therapies to target diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetes.
After completing the master’s program in 2011, Dr. Houston began her research career at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, studying cell signaling cascades to target in pediatric cancers. After six years as a basic scientist, she desired more experience in clinical research and joined CirQuest Labs (now MLM Medical Labs Memphis) as a clinical trial sample analyst.
“At CirQuest, I was exposed to regulatory and compliance, piquing a new interest for me to shift from technical work to administrative work in research,” she said. “After two years there, I was able to leave bench work and began the administrative portion of my career.”
Dr. Houston joined the IRB at UT Health Science Center in 2019 as a regulatory specialist, reviewing, processing, and approving clinical research applications. She is now a compliance advisor focused on ensuring researchers maintain compliance with local policies and federal regulations. While working in these roles, she maintained her desire to further her education, which she learned was the best way to advance her career.
Dr. Houston’s life experiences influenced her decision to focus her doctoral research on policy reformation for students with hidden disabilities. She initially gained an interest in disabilities from taking care of her mother, who was disabled after suffering a severe stroke, and experiencing the laws and policies she and her family had to follow to obtain resources they needed. Her student experience further fueled her drive to put herself in a position to reform policies for people with disabilities.
“As a graduate student who was diagnosed with a hidden disability and faced many challenges related to completing my graduate degree due to my diagnosis, I felt the best place to start was right here at UT Health Science Center and hear the experiences of students like me,” she said.
After completing the HOPR program, Dr. Houston is confident she made the right choice for her PhD. The health policy concentration aligned with not only her research interests, but also with her life and family situation. “The HOPR program was the most appropriate program for me when I decided to obtain my PhD because I was not your traditional student who had just graduated college and was now entering grad school. I had a full-time career and a family, so I needed a program that was geared toward working adults who wanted to further their education.”
Dr. Houston was honored at the UT Health Science Center Impact Awards in December with a Student Impact and Advocacy Leadership Award, which recognizes students whose actions demonstrate impact and advocacy in support of the university’s Strategic Plan for engaging communities, educational excellence, expanding research, advancing health, and developing talent. Among the reasons she received the award was the pivotal role she played in reinstating the university’s chapter of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). She learned about the organization from a classmate and felt having a chapter at UT Health Science Center would be valuable to her and other students and their academic success.
“The main benefit was that we were able to collaborate with other ISPOR chapters across the U.S. to coordinate hosting seminars, faculty talks, and workshops to enhance and impact students during their doctoral journey,” she said. “To hear my peers in the HOPR program and at our collaborating chapter institutions tell us how helpful or impactful a career talk or a statistical analysis workshop was in completing their coursework or their own data analysis really made me feel that reinstating the chapter was worth it.”
Dr. Houston would like to continue her research on students with hidden disabilities and reforming policy affecting them, but she also aspires to serve in an executive-level position in research administration. She hopes her colleagues and the College of Graduate Health Sciences faculty can provide guidance in achieving both goals. Similarly, she hopes other students will look to her for inspiration in their education and career paths.
“I want other students like me to know that anything is possible, no matter what obstacles come your way,” she said. “If I can achieve my academic and career goals, so can you.”
This story was originally featured in the spring 2025 issue of the College of Graduate Health Sciences Magazine.