Kristin 
Fenker, phd

A BIT ABOUT ME

I'm a geneticist and writer with a passion for connecting people to science.

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Over the past 15 years, I've turned complex genetics into resources that help people understand new ideas, navigate important decisions, and discover what makes life's four-letter code so endlessly fascinating.

 

Most recently, I led interdisciplinary science writing and curriculum development projects at the University of Utah's Stark (formerly Genetic) Science Learning Center, where I helped create resources that measurably improve science and health literacy. Today, those resources are used by millions of learners around the world.

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WHO I WRITE FOR

The same genetics topic can require a completely different approach depending on who's reading it.

• High school biology student? Let's make something that's fun, engaging, and connected to the world. (Also, shhh, we'll likely hit some required science standards, too.)

• Patients and families? Let's get you something that's clear, compassionate, and easy to navigate. Your biggest questions get answered first, with opportunities to explore more when you're ready.

• Busy clinicians, could you use some concise, evidence-based resources that support conversations, decision-making, and fit into established clinical workflows?

• The public? Well, that's not one audience. Sometimes the goal is to spark curiosity; other times it's to build trust, explain uncertainty, or help people make sense of rapidly changing science.

 

WHAT I CREATE

Most of my work lives in digital spaces, where thoughtful design can make health and science feel clear and approachable, even exciting.

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I think well beyond what words land on the page. I consider how information is organized, how people move through it, what questions they'll have next, and what they'll remember after they leave.

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I've created websites, interactive experiences, educational games, videos, decision aids, informed consent materials, educator guides, and other learning resources. Whatever the format, my goal is the same: create content that's accurate, audience-centered, and genuinely useful.

 

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WHO I WORK WITH

My favorite way to design is together.

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I've led science writing teams and curriculum development on projects both large and small. Along the way, I also had the opportunity to serve as Principal Investigator on a multi-year NIH-funded R25 project, Genetics at Work.

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I've enjoyed projects that brought together researchers, clinicians, educators, instructional designers, artists, developers, animators, evaluators, and community members. In fact, those collaborations are what led to the work I'm the most proud of - the ones where experts from different backgrounds came together to build something none of us could have created alone.

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When I’m not working, you can find me watching wildlife, listening to music, or exploring Salt Lake City with my rescued greyhound, old "Mellow Murph."