Finding confidence, community, and a career in epidemiology
3 minutes
Breana Kelly
Summary
The Centre for Healthcare Innovation is a welcoming community for trainees and international students. And for Yixiu Liu, a springboard into a rewarding career.
From trainee at CHI to government epidemiologist
The first time Yixiu Liu led a workshop at CHI, she was nervous. Teaching government analysts and health professionals how to code in a language that was not her first seemed daunting. But by the end of the session, something clicked.
“I realized I could communicate technical ideas to all kinds of audiences,” she said. “That experience built my confidence, and I still use those skills every day.”
That confidence would carry Liu from her first days as a master’s student to earning her PhD—and into her current role as an epidemiologist with the Government of Manitoba. Along the way, CHI became was she called “the foundation of all my growth.”
Through teaching, research, and leadership, Liu found herself in a space where trainees are treated not as students but as collaborators. She co-founded the Data Science Training and Development Council, led R workshops, and received support through the Visual and Automated Disease Analytics (VADA) program. Each experience layering technical expertise with project management, leadership, and communication skills.
As an international student, she also found a welcoming community. “CHI’s inclusive and supportive environment made Winnipeg feel like home,” she said. “It’s truly interdisciplinary; a place where everyone is encouraged to learn from one another.”
Liu is continuing to build on that foundation as she progresses in her career. “CHI’s impact doesn’t end when you graduate,” she said. “It stays with you in how you work, lead, and connect with others.”
