A series of “happy accidents” has set soon-to-be Dr. Julianne Clina on the exact path she was supposed to be on all along.
Clina, a predoctoral fellow for the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability, NCHPAD, never had a clear idea of what she wanted to do even as a bright-eyed freshman interviewing for doctoral programs. But now, with years of experience, her mission is clear as she is set to become a postdoctoral fellow with the University of Kansas’ internationally recognized Division of Physical Activity & Weight Management.
One of the many jobs as an undergraduate Clina “just so happened to get” was as a caregiver for adults with nonverbal autism. It was a difficult job, but it was the most rewarding and educational because she had never looked at life through the disability lens.
“I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to continue working with people with disabilities,” Clina said.
In her Ph.D. program, Clina worked on multiple weight-loss studies under the tutelage of her mentor Dr. Jim Hill, chair of the UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences, because of his longtime relationship with CEDHARS and NCHPAD Director Dr. Jim Rimmer. Working on Hill’s studies based in the Wellness, Health and Research Facility, WHARF, Clina found herself asking questions how to adapt equipment and protocols and having an overall curiosity of how to serve people with disabilities.
“It just clicked finally – I have to do my research on people with disabilities,” Clina said.
So, the close colleagues Hill and Rimmer created a NCHPAD predoc position for Clina to adapt the weight-loss program State of Slim, co-created by Hill and Dr. Holly Wyatt, to be inclusive of people with mobility limitations and disabilities.
Clina said her decision to go down the path of disability research has only been solidified through her mentorship with Rimmer. Often times, researchers can get caught up in grant submission or program implementation, but Rimmer will ask for updates on specific participants Clina has mentioned once in passing.
“Everyone cares about what they do and cares about helping people, but there’s just a different level with Dr. Rimmer, in terms of caring for everyone as an individual,” Clina said. “And that’s something that I strive for.”
It was here at NCHPAD that Clina’s desire to work with people with disabilities grew from an interest to a calling. A colleague mentioned that Clina should get connected with Dr. Lauren Ptomey, associate professor at the University of Kansas whose research centers around developmental and intellectual disabilities. When Clina attended a seminar led by Ptomey, feverishly taking down pages of notes, it seemed to be a match made in heaven.
Keeping with the theme of serendipity, Dr. Joe Donnelly, who heads the division at Kansas, did training with Hill and Rimmer.
While Clina loves the weight-loss research, she has so much training regarding weight management that she wants to expand her academic development into a new discipline as well as into intellectual and developmental disabilities, which is a key focus at Kansas.
“It’s the Division of Physical Activity & Weight Management – it’s perfect, right,” Clina bellowed. “They do what I want to do. Sign me up.”
Clina is scheduled to finish and defend her dissertation in the fall, then her circuitous path will find her in Kansas in January.
“I feel like it was all a happy accident, but I got where I needed to go. I can’t emphasize enough how much I love what I do.”
