Dr. Van Dyke most recently served as a Health Equity Lead and Senior Health Scientist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she led innovative health equity and data initiatives to improve population health.  She joined CDC as a disease detective in CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, where she provided boots on the ground to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Dr. Van Dyke was among the first to report on devastating COVID-19 disparities impacting marginalized communities.  She later led work analyzing and reporting on the links between community vulnerability and firearm injuries.  

She also served as an Informatics Health Scientist and Senior Policy Advisor reporting on national physical activity disparities and analyzing structural and policy-related barriers and facilitators to active living in communities.  Dr. Van Dyke has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications, including studies on how psychosocial stressors and social policies are related to health and how race, place, and class intersect to influence health.

Dr. Van Dyke holds a Master of Public Health and Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology from Emory University.  She also earned a B.S. in Nuclear Medicine Technology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Van Dyke was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellow, a Bill & Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar, a George W. Woodruff Fellow, a 2018 Lindau Nobel Laureate Delegate, a CDC Shalon M. Irving Health Equity award recipient, and was awarded training fellowships from the National Institutes of Health. Miriam lives in Atlanta with her partner Cory and several cats. She enjoys traveling and is an active committee member of her neighborhood’s park and community group.