'My Why is Personal'
Meet Kristy Stoudemire-Bell, Project Coordinator for HudsonAlpha’s Information is Power program
By: Jazmine Robinson
Each October, we observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness, promote early detection, and support those affected by this significant disease. Genetic cancer screening empowers individuals to make informed health decisions for themselves and their families. However, nearly half of the individuals with elevated genetic risk for cancer do not meet standard testing criteria.
In 2015, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology launched the Information is Power initiative to address this issue. The HudsonAlpha Information is Power Initiative offers vital genetic testing for cancer risk, providing essential insights that guide proactive health measures.
Kristy Stoudemire-Bell plays a pivotal role in this effort, working diligently to ensure that more individuals across Alabama receive the vital information they need. Read on to learn more about Mrs. Stoudemire-Bell.
Jazmine Robinson: Thank you for meeting with me today, Mrs. Stoudemire-Bell. I am looking forward to learning more about you and the work you do in collaboration with Dr. Sara Cooper’s cancer research. Can you share more about your position?
Kristy Stoudemire-Bell: My name is Kristy Stoudemire-Bell, and I’m the Project Coordinator for our Information is Power program here at HudsonAlpha. In the broadest sense, my role is to travel throughout the state of Alabama to help people identify their potential risk for cancer by providing access to genetic testing.
Jazmine: What is your career background, and how do you think it has led you to your current position?
Kristy: I have spent the vast majority of my 23-year career in social service. My parents were extremely civic-minded, so my siblings and I have been involved in community organizations and volunteering efforts for as long as I can remember. I am the youngest of 8 children. Growing up, service to others was instilled in all of us; however, I didn’t fully grasp the role that would have in my future. I realized in college that I wanted my career to be in a field that would help me continue to nurture the skills that I had been obtaining since early childhood.
I received my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Alabama A&M University before obtaining my Masters in Criminal Justice from Faulkner University. I served as a magistrate for the City of Huntsville for 13 years before returning to the university to serve as the Conduct Officer and adjunct professor. I loved my position at the university, but I was interested in being able to make an educational impact in a new space in a different way. I was intrigued by the work being done by HudsonAlpha, and when the IIP Project Coordinator position opened, I was compelled to apply.
Jazmine: How long have you been with HudsonAlpha?
Kristy: I celebrated my 3 year anniversary at the Institute on September 1, 2024.
Jazmine: Your position requires a lot of energy and a great deal of conversation around what could be a very somber topic. What keeps you motivated in your role?
Kristy: One of my sisters was diagnosed with breast cancer before she reached the recommended age to schedule her first mammogram. As the IIP Coordinator, I am in a position where I travel all over the state to express the importance of being proactive through genetic testing and learning more about risk factors for diseases that impact all of us. It’s crucial to have these conversations with not just our physicians but our families, as well. Going into communities where people have not had access to this type of screening before, especially those rural areas in the Black Belt not too far from Prattville, it’s a big deal for me. When I talk about the work we are doing through our program, especially during the month of October, it’s not merely relevant to “Kristy, the Coordinator.” My why is personal.
Jazmine: What has been one of the most memorable experiences you have had thus far?
Kristy: There are so many, but one of my favorites was coordinating a visit to HudsonAlpha’s campus for an Alabama A&M student organization, Melanated Doctors. I love the intentional initiative that the Institute is taking to bring the next generation into the workforce and I was excited to introduce HBCU students into a space that many of them had never experienced. They had an opportunity to interact with several of our researchers and interns and gain knowledge from them. ‘Service is sovereignty’ is the motto of Alabama A&M, and for me, as an alumnus, to be able to connect these particular students with exposure opportunities that they may not have received otherwise was incredibly meaningful for me. One of the students who visited applied and was selected to participate in our BioTrain internship program, while another student is currently a BRIDGES Fellow in the Cochran lab at HudsonAlpha.
Jazmine: Speaking of the next generation of employees, what advice would you give to students who are interested in the type of outreach work that you do on behalf of IIP?
Kristy: I would advise them to be willing to step outside of the spaces that they are most comfortable in and become uncomfortable. I would also encourage them to respectfully connect with people from different backgrounds or walks of life and not take any connection lightly. I would encourage them to go out into the community, have conversations, and listen.
One of the most important aspects of my role as project coordinator is building genuine relationships. A successful partnership cannot happen without a solid relationship. We have to take our relationships seriously – this is how we are truly able to make a difference.
Jazmine: Tell us more about yourself. Outside of work, what keeps you busy?
Kristy:
I am very big on family. I love being a wife and mother. We have a 9-year-old little boy who is so much fun; we spend a lot of time at his ball games and practices. Our little family loves to travel and explore new places together. Also, with 7 older siblings who have children and grandchildren of their own, you can imagine that we have an extremely large extended family to celebrate holidays, birthdays, and vacations. I would say that between work and family, I am never not booked and busy.