Zuha Adnan
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: Pakistan
Degree(s): BA, Biology, San Jose State University, 2024
Global health experience:
- Extensive clinical and laboratory experience across procedural and community health settings, including frontline COVID-19 response as a medical assistant, laboratory assistant, and patient outreach volunteer
- Worked in clinical research, coordinating large-scale diagnostic testing, managing high-risk patient specimens, and facilitating access to care for diverse patient populations
- Worked in dermatology, assisting with various medical and cosmetic procedures, including Mohs surgeries for skin cancer, wound closures, biopsies, and patient education. Supported physicians by preparing surgical sites, handling instruments, and upholding sterile technique, while delivering trauma-informed, patient-centered care to adolescents and adults to achieve optimal treatment outcomes
- Volunteered at Derby Mosque since 2017, supporting health promotion initiatives and coordinating large-scale food distribution during Ramadan and seasonal programs. Assisted in organizing and delivering meals and essential supplies to individuals and families in need, while engaging with community members to share information on accessing healthcare services, nutrition resources, and local support programs
Global health interests:
Maternal and child health; Women’s health equity; Infectious diseases
Fidan Aghayeva
ze/hir/hirs
Country of Origin: Azerbaijan
Degree(s): BSc, Psychology, University of Nottingham, UK, 2019
Global health experience:
- Supported children with developmental disorders by providing relevant therapies and advocating for equitable access to health services
- Organized annual in-office blood donation drives to promote community health engagement and raise awareness of donor shortages
Global health interests:
Mental health, Health policy and management, Global health innovation and research
Mora Ali
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: Afghanistan
Degree(s): BA, Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2025
Global health experience:
- Conducted qualitative research on women’s health barriers in Afghanistan
- Translated for non-English speaking patients in the emergency department to facilitate communication between patients and providers
- Developed educational initiatives for Afghan refugees on navigating the U.S. healthcare system and managing chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes
Global health interests:
Healthcare delivery in resource-limited and conflict-affected settings, Women’s health in Afghanistan, Health systems and policy in the Middle East
Sanjana Anand
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Biology, Duke University, 2025
Global health experience:
- Conducted original research on digital health equity in sub-Saharan Africa, evaluating AI-driven telemedicine programs for HIV care delivery and presenting findings to inform implementation strategies in low-resource settings
- Investigated environmental drivers of kidney development and health to assess the human and ecological impacts of anthropogenic environmental change in a global context
- Led epidemiological research on the immunosuppressive effects of nicotine-containing substances, serving as first author on a peer-reviewed publication with an ultimate goal of policy change
Global health interests:
Digital health equity and innovation in low-resource settings, Environmental health and climate change-related disease burden, Health systems strengthening through community-based care and policy reform
Dominick Antelo
he/him/his
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Biology: Concentration in Physiology, San Francisco State University, 2023
Global health experience:
- Led various volunteering events through San Mateo County Health’s Bundle of Joy program, helping to pack bags filled with essentials for mothers and their newborns
- Helped coordinate free healthcare clinics that offered blood pressure screenings and a hot meal at Hearts for the Homeless in the SF Bay Area
- Spearheaded giving workers clean water, healthy food, and facilitating medical appointments through ALAS in Half Moon Bay
Global health interests:
Immigrant and migrant health, Underserved populations and ethnic minorities
Michael Caesar
he/him/his
Country of Origin: Ghana
Degree(s): MBChB, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Ghana, 2021
Global health experience:
- Led a team of 3 doctors to conduct a community-based hypertension and diabetes screening for the aged 70+ in a rural township in Accra
- Conducted risk assessment while working in a health insurance company to ensure healthcare plans were tailored to individual needs
- Facilitated a church based medical initiative to conduct monthly health educational sessions to increase health awareness in the community
Global health interests:
Noncommunicable diseases, Health financing, Healthcare access
Celine Chou
she/her/hers
Country of origin: Taiwan
Degrees(s): BS, Biology and Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2021
Global health experience:
- Coordinated patient enrollment in the ICU for The EquiOx Study, which aims to understand pulse oximetry biases related to skin pigmentation
- Facilitated free clinics, home visits, and a health-focused summer camp in rural area of Taiwan
- Distributed fresh produce to support the nutrition of uninsured patients in San Francisco
Global health interests:
Child health, Global health systems, Healthcare access and equity
Isa de la Torre
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BA, Neuroscience and Behavior, Columbia University, 2020; MD candidate, University of California, San Diego, expected 2027
Global health experience:
- Designed and completed scholarly project on mental health consequences of immigration policies and practices at the US-Mexico Border through the UCSD Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inclusive Excellence and Hispanic Center of Excellence Scholars Programs
- Supported by Columbia University and the School for International Training, conducted an independent research project in Chile on the mental health impact of sexual political violence against Chilean women during the country’s 20th century dictatorship and civil unrest of Fall 2019
- Served as a virtual Spanish medical interpreter at the Einstein Community Health Outreach (ECHO) clinic located in the Bronx
Global health interests:
Mental health equity in Spanish-speaking/Latine communities, Child and adolescent psychiatry, Psychotic disorders
Benjamin De Wilde
he/him/his
Country of Origin: Tanzania
Degree(s): MD, Ghent University, 2025
Global health experience:
- Researched neglected tropical diseases in collaboration with the Global Health Institute Antwerp, with a specific focus on onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy
- Co-founded AfroMedica, a non-profit dedicated to health equity within the Belgian healthcare sector
- Helped set up a global campaign for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through the CHANGE project
Global health interests:
Neglected tropical diseases, Immigrant and migrant health, Global health equity
Alicja Dzikowski
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Global and Community Health, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2025
Global health experience:
- Created an educational presentation in Spanish on chronic kidney disease to improve health literacy among Spanish-speaking communities
- Co-authored a white paper on pesticide-related health disparities and researched natural alternatives to chemical pesticides through the Global and Community Health Task Force
- Co-produced a podcast episode focused on raising awareness of microplastics and their toxicological impact on community health
Global health interests:
Healthcare access and equity, Social determinants of health, Chronic disease awareness and prevention, Health promotion and education
Madison Fang
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Health Sciences, California Northstate University, 2025
Global health experience:
- Advocated for community engagement in Mirasol Village, a food desert community, by promoting a community garden and educating residents on using fresh produce through simple, accessible recipes
- Engaged in community outreach by distributing essential supplies such as food, water, and hygiene kits to unhoused individuals in the Sacramento area
Global health interests:
Food insecurity, Chronic disease prevention, Health equity
Selen Gokcen
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Biology, University of California, Riverside, 2023
Global health experience:
- Worked as an ESL instructional aide and tutor at a local adult school that gives free English classes to underserved and low-income individuals
- Volunteered alongside physicians and medical students from the UC Riverside School of Medicine to put on free clinics for underserved communities within the Inland Empire
- Served as the secretary for Never Ending Cycle, an organization that strives to educate others on the need for equal access to feminine hygiene products and advocates for homeless and underserved women within the Inland Empire
Global health interests:
Immigrant populations, Social determinants of health, Health education/accessibility
Rashim Hakim
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: Afghanistan
Degree(s): BS, Global Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, 2022
Global health experience:
- Investigated brain waste among Afghan and Arab refugee physicians through scoping reviews, shedding light on systemic barriers to healthcare workforce integration
- Led research exploring barriers to obstetric and gynecological care for Afghan and Arab refugee women, presenting findings at UC Davis and Global Disease Biology conferences
- Co-presented culturally sensitive interventions to improve breast cancer screening in Afghan refugee populations at the 86th Annual Surgical Update, International College of Surgeons
Global health interests:
Refugee and immigrant health equity, Women’s health and reproductive justice, Cultural and linguistic barriers in healthcare
Payal Hegde
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, 2025
Global health experience:
- Delivered medical care to unhoused individuals along the American River with Sacramento Street Medicine, addressing health inequities in mental health, substance use, and chronic disease through street-based outreach
- Contributed to the development of I-CARE, a digital health platform enhancing access to remote monitoring, exercise programs, and caregiver support for socially isolated older adults
- Organized and led blood pressure screenings and heart health education at Wind Youth Center, connecting at-risk youth to follow-up care and community health resources
Global health interests:
Healthy aging, Elder abuse, Health systems policy
Isabelle Hoang
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Biotechnology, University of California, Davis, 2022
Global health experience:
- Documented patient visits and trained medical scribes on medical decision making, pathology, and terminology within multiple departments at the UC Davis Medical Health Center including Dermatology, ENT, and Gynecology Oncology, Plastic Surgery, etc.
- Collaborated with process engineers to complete small-scale experiments involving chromatography, ultrafiltration/diafiltration, and normal flow filtration operations for the purification of antibodies at Genentech
- Conducted assays on enzymes produced by Bifidobacterium in order to determine by-product of carbohydrate cleavage as an undergraduate research assistant in the Mills Lab at UC Davis
Global health interests:
Preventative health and education in underserved communities, Women’s and pediatric care, Dermatology
Kayla Jimenez
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Conservation & Resource Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 2024
Global health experience:
- Assisted nurses by escorting patients, transporting lab samples, and delivering meals to support patient care as a volunteer at UC San Diego
- Conducted laboratory testing and data analysis as a lab technician at CUE Health, contributing to the development and validation of COVID-19 diagnostic kits
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to ensure quality control and accuracy in biomedical research supporting pandemic response efforts in San Diego
Global health interests:
Environmental impacts on population health, Health Equity, Health systems and policy
Joseph Jung
he/him/his
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2025
Global health experience:
- Conducted undergraduate research on the role of the STEP protein in the progression of temporal lobe epilepsy using mouse models
- Volunteered at a hospital in Urbana, Illinois, observing systemic disparities in healthcare accessibility and outcomes
Global health interests:
Neurological disorders, Mental health, Health equity
Simi Kapila
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2024
Global health experience:
- Worked in Meru, Kenya with the local community and schools
- Provided oral and sexual health lectures as well as conducted oral health surveys and general oral health examinations
- Provided water filtration systems and computers for the local schools
Global health interests:
Maternal health and maternal outcomes of underserved and minority populations, Environemntal toxicology in vulnerable populations, Health policy
Afroze Khan
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS Molecular and Cell Biology, Minor in Global Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 2022
Global health experience:
- Researched autologous stem cell therapies in Orthopedics and researched smoking trends among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Volunteered at a free clinic in San Jose treating the underinsured and uninsured and assisting in outreach
- Worked as a medical scribe and medical assistant in various outpatient specialty clinics in Northern and Central California, treating a diverse patient population of all backgrounds and coordinated pro bono surgeries for qualifying patients
Global health interests:
Infectious disease, Health policy, Women’s health and education
Thai Lee
he/him/his
Country of Origin: Laos
Degree(s): BS, Medical Anthropology, University of California, Riverside, 2025
Global health experience:
- Examined healthcare access among Hmong families in IE, Southern California, how language barriers and lack of culturally appropriate services reflect broader global health issues of equity and systemic neglect
- Developed biometric monitoring devices using Arduino, applying medical anthropology and innovation to support health in resource limited and high risk settings
- Evaluated the health and environmental impacts of chemical fertilizers versus biochar among North State farmers by managing experimental farmland and harvests, explored how sustainable soil practices can reduce chemical exposure and support rural health, linking ecological sustainability to global public health
Global health interests:
Infectious diseases, Immigrant and refugee health, Health policy
Ilana McDonald
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): Ba Social and Behavioral Sciences, California State University Monterey Bay, 2025
Global health experience:
- Provided mentoring and accredited educational classes for marginalized middle and high school students in preparation for college
- Provided essential school supplies to over 500 underserved Bay area families for the last 5 years
Global health interests:
Mental and educational health policy advocation and implementation for California youth
Bhavya Patnaik
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Cell and Molecular Biology, San Francisco State University, 2025
Global health experience:
- Volunteered at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital’s Richard Fine People’s Clinic, supporting diverse patient populations with limited access to care
- Assisted in patient education and clinical support at Bay Area Obstetrics and Gynecology, focusing on prenatal and women’s health care
- Tutored students with learning differences, promoting equitable access to science education in underrepresented communities
Global health interests:
Maternal-fetal medicine and advanced maternal age pregnancies, Women’s health equity and access to reproductive care, Policy implementation to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes
Eric Randall
he/him/his
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Kinesiology, University of San Francisco, 2018; MS, Kinesiology, San Francisco State University, 2024
Global health experience:
- Founder of Pull Yourself Up, a nonprofit advocating for outdoor fitness equipment in underserved communities
- Owner of Route Fitness gym, with over 15 years of experience promoting physical activity, mental health, and chronic disease prevention among diverse populations
- Developed a community-engaged advocacy framework for implementing outdoor fitness equipment in low-income neighborhoods—addressing policy engagement, evidence gathering, and impact evaluation.
- Published research in Current Sports Medicine Reports on outdoor fitness equipment and drug overdose prevention; appointed to San Francisco’s Park and Recreation Advisory Committee to advance health equity
Global health interests:
Health equity, Physical activity promotion, Substance use prevention
Tonantzin Rodríguez Cerón
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: Mexico, United States of America
Degree(s): BA, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 2023
Global health experience:
- Developed, taught, and publicized Spanish language CDC materials with the most up-to-date information to community health workers in collaboration with the national Juntos Si Podemos Campaign and other partners to increase COVID-19 vaccine awareness and benefits in the Latino community
- Conducted culturally and linguistically tailored community outreach at local events, disseminating cancer awareness information and engaging individuals in educational activities to promote early detection and prevention
- Collaborated with a SFUSD elementary school teacher to create Spanish/ English bilingual science lessons for Spanish speaking, new arrival immigrant children
Global health interests:
Healthcare access and equity, Working with underserved and immigrant communities, Global orthopedics
Jaydi Romero
she/her/hers
Country of origin: United States of America
Degrees(s): BS, Psychology, University of California, Davis, 2024
Global health experience:
- Educated patients in rural Santiago, Dominican Republic about the importance of vaccines and breastfeeding
- Created and completed research on the knowledge of maternal and prenatal care in this community
Global health interests:
Immigrant communities, Women’s health, Health equity
Megan Sicord
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Nursing and Global Health, Villanova University, 2021
Global health experience:
- Assessed and treated various communicable diseases and public health events as an Emergency Room nurse for 2.5 years and Pediatric Acute Care nurse for 8 months
- Worked as a registered nurse during a postgraduate year of service at a clinic for transient individuals and families in San Diego, CA
- Performed research on STI/STD prevalence in the Dominican Republic and ran small group sessions in rural Dominican community clinics teaching the most prevalent STI/STDs, signs and symptoms, forms of treatment, and options for prevention
Global health interests:
The effects of climate change on global health
Zoe Smith
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BA, Public Health, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2024
Global health experience:
- Worked on a project analyzing unstructured, open-ended, self-identified ethnic and cultural descriptions gathered from 10,000 people across eight languages and over 15 countries and organized the mass amount of quantitative data into discrete categories
- Worked as a research intern on a project in American Samoa researching the prevalence of Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias in that population as well as conducted my own study researching possible associations between demographics and Alzheimer’s and Related Dementia Risk in Older Adults in American Samoa
- Worked on a project titled “Associations between having a child during adolescence and intrinsic capacity in later life among participants in the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS)” which gathered data from 5 different cities and across four different countries.
Global health interests:
Child and maternal health, Increasing access to healthcare in underserved communities, Disease prevention for mothers and children
Alyssa Wainaina
they/them/theirs
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BS, Sociology and Ethnic Studies, Boise State University, Boise, 2021
Global health experience:
- Founded a Black and trans led nonprofit serving rural communities
- Co-led a research study on the perspectives and experiences young adults of color in the United States on their sexual and reproductive health
- Graduate of the International LGBTQI Youth & Student Organization Global Activist Academy
Global health interests:
Pelvic pain disorders, Sexual and reproductive health in East Africa, Transgender healthcare
Clarisha Ware
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): BA Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2018
Global health experience:
- Worked on numerous quality improvement projects that positively impacted both providers and patients in GI Oncology Department at UCSF
- Tutored youth as part of Project Literacy at UCLA, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving literacy rates in underserved communities in Los Angeles.
Global health interests:
Social determinants of health, Noncommunicable diseases, Health systems and policy
J. Selena Wood
she/her/hers
Country of Origin: United States of America
Degree(s): B.A., Biology, University of Southern California, 2010
Global health experience:
- Served as Program Manager for Environmental Justice non-profit, Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates, in San Francisco, training Peer Health Ambassadors of unhoused residents, to become community health workers, connecting the unhoused community with healthcare resources, Covid-19 testing and access to immunizations
- Facilitated Highland Hospital’s multilingual Patient Advisory Council in Oakland, composed of Spanish, Iu Mien and English speaking members, completing a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Comparative Effectiveness Research project, centered on language and health literacy barriers in the hospital setting
- Worked as the Research & Development coordinator for Revolution Foods in Oakland, addressing children’s nutrition health equity and diet related diseases, through culturally relevant subsidized food services and nutrition education in underserved communities nationally
Global health interests:
Women’s health, Health equity, Health access and health education, Health systems and policy
Pinrui Yu
he/him/his
Country of Origin: China
Degree(s): HBSc, Biology Specialist, Health & Disease Major, University of Toronto, 2025
Global health experience:
- Volunteered at Toronto General Hospital Liver Transplant Center by assisting patients with appointment coordination, rescheduling follow-ups, and facilitating timely access to essential diagnostic tests; provided guidance on therapeutic interventions to improve patient understanding and compliance, supported physicians and administrative staffs in maintaining clinic flow, and helped navigate language and cultural barriers for diverse patients to promote equitable access to specialized care in a high-acuity hospital environment
- Shadowed neurosurgery teams at Chengdu Second People’s Hospital in China, observing and assisting in over 20 advanced neurosurgical procedures such as hemifacial spasm microvascular decompression, cranial repair, and endovascular coiling of intracranial aneurysms; gained hands-on experience in preoperative and postoperative care, including patient monitoring and clinical documentation; concurrently contributed as a trainee researcher on departmental projects by collecting patient data, learning bioinformatic analysis workflows, assisting in protocol drafting, and engaging in the preparation process for clinical trial and review manuscripts—building skills in evidence-based medicine and research within an international healthcare system
- Conducted a cross-sectional analysis investigating the correlation between neighborhood income levels and Type 2 Diabetes prevalence across ten Toronto neighborhoods using population health datasets from OCHPP; extracted, cleaned, and integrated socioeconomic and epidemiological data for multiple time points (2018–2022), stratified results by age and sex, and applied statistical modeling and visualization using R to identify health inequities associated with low-income populations; interpreted findings in the context of social determinants of health and proposed future policy interventions such as targeted health promotion programs and equitable resource allocation to mitigate chronic disease disparities in urban communities.
Global health interests:
Glioblastoma, Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)