Kristina Ko
Exec. Dir. of Federal Relations / Asst. VP for Research, Federal Relations
University of Michigan
Kristina D. Ko is the University of Michigan’s Executive Director of Federal Relations / Assistant Vice President for Research, Federal Relations and leads the university’s federal advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. In this role, Ms. Ko and her team work closely with academic leaders, faculty and staff across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses by informing and advising them on federal legislative, regulatory and policy developments that impact public research universities, and specifically the University of Michigan. Ms. Ko serves as the university’s primary contact with Congress, the executive branch, federal agencies, research organizations, professional societies and public policy organizations and coalitions to ensure they are apprised of the achievements, needs and opportunities arising from the U-M community. Through these activities, she plays a key role in supporting the university’s mission to serve the nation and works to bolster faculty participation in public engagement.
Ms. Ko also serves as director of outreach and engagement for the U-M Concussion Center, which aims to advance patient health by conducting multidisciplinary research that will answer fundamental questions on concussion prevention, identification, diagnosis, management and outcomes.
Prior to these roles, Ms. Ko served as a health care adviser for the office of former-U.S. Senator Carl Levin and worked on the Affordable Care Act. In addition, she supported the Senator’s work as Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in the Committee of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Before her work in the Senate, she spent over a decade working on health care issues across non-profit and for-profit industries, and local and federal government.
Ms. Ko earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Public Policy degree in finance and health administration and policy from the University of Chicago.
Kristina D. Ko is the University of Michigan’s Executive Director of Federal Relations / Assistant Vice President for Research, Federal Relations and leads the university’s federal advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. In this role, Ms. Ko and her team work closely with academic leaders, faculty and staff across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses by informing and advising them on federal legislative, regulatory and policy developments that impact public research universities, and specifically the University of Michigan. Ms. Ko serves as the university’s primary contact with Congress, the executive branch, federal agencies, research organizations, professional societies and public policy organizations and coalitions to ensure they are apprised of the achievements, needs and opportunities arising from the U-M community. Through these activities, she plays a key role in supporting the university’s mission to serve the nation and works to bolster faculty participation in public engagement.
Ms. Ko also serves as director of outreach and engagement for the U-M Concussion Center, which aims to advance patient health by conducting multidisciplinary research that will answer fundamental questions on concussion prevention, identification, diagnosis, management and outcomes.
Prior to these roles, Ms. Ko served as a health care adviser for the office of former-U.S. Senator Carl Levin and worked on the Affordable Care Act. In addition, she supported the Senator’s work as Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in the Committee of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Before her work in the Senate, she spent over a decade working on health care issues across non-profit and for-profit industries, and local and federal government.
Ms. Ko earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Public Policy degree in finance and health administration and policy from the University of Chicago.