Spectrum News: Researcher with disabilities shares journey
UC postdoctorate fellow discusses the desire to encourage others like her in STEM fields
A day in the life of Christina Wicker, PhD, a postdoctorate fellow and researcher at the University of Cincinnati, is no walk in the park, mostly due to her disabilities and chronic pain.
But she's not letting that stop her from doing something she loves.
Wicker spends hours a day in a lab setting, conducting important cancer research that could help patients one day, but that isn’t easy for her.
“When I come home on days where I’ve done a lot, I’m on the couch. I can barely move," she said.
She has Klippel-Feil syndrome, as well as several other physical disabilities that cause her chronic pain.
She hopes her journey will inspire someone to continue to work towards their goals, no matter their physical abilities.
“If I can make things better for somebody coming behind me, a more junior scientist, it’ll be worth it,” she says.
Read the full Spectrum News story.
Read more about Wicker's research in this UC News story.
Featured photo of Christina Wicker in her lab by Colleen Kelley.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Stay up on all UC's COVID-19 stories, or take a UC virtual visit and begin picturing yourself at an institution that inspires incredible stories.
Related Stories
Tristate residents with ties to the Middle East grapple with...
June 23, 2025
WLWT speaks with Julie Leftwich, director of Peace Security Initiatives at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, about the current conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran.
UC student Jaysa Kleiber leads the way with IDD research
June 23, 2025
A senior Special Education major at the University of Cincinnati, Jaysa Kleiber was initially drawn to the university by the variety of educational opportunities the program offered. Chief among these experiences has been her role in an intervention research project with the Intellectual Developmental Disability (IDD) Education Center, helping associates learn skills to share experiences via social media.
UC-backed startup’s unexpected pivot takes root
June 23, 2025
Bailout Systems successfully pivoted its technology to arborist safety after running into certification roadblocks with uses for firefighters and military members.