Social Medicine Fellows 2024
Aliyyat Afolabi was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and graduated from California State University Long Beach in 2020 with honors in Biology. At Pitt Med, she serves as co-coordinator for Homewood Home Visits, and Medical Students For Choice and is involved in SNMA. She is passionate about addressing and advocating solutions for health disparities in communities that are often failed by medicine. When she's not making "good trouble," she enjoys traveling, videography, and spending time with her friends and family.
Sindhana Anbalagan, Class of 2027, grew up in Germantown, MD and attended the University of Pittsburgh where she majored in Biological Sciences and minored in French. She then completed an Americorps program in Boston, MA, where she served as a teaching assistant for sixth grade math. She has a passion for working with kids and loves clothing and fitness.
Aarushi Bajpai is from San Jose, California and received a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from UCLA with a minor in Biomedical Research. Drawing from her experience with leading volunteer efforts for human trafficking survivors and providing podiatric care to homeless patients, Aarushi is committed the values of human dignity and respect. At Pitt Med, she is involved in the Women's Center Clinic, Guerrilla Eye Service, and Physician Scientist Training Program Retreat Committee. In the future, she hopes to combine her scientific background and passion for community service, striving to be a compassionate advocate and lifelong learner.
Brandon Aguilar, a native of San Jose, CA, was raised by his parents, who are of Salvadoran descent. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Davis, majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with a minor in Chicana/o Studies. He is dedicated to advocating for health equity, focusing on mitigating the social determinants of health affecting underserved communities, notably the Latino community. Within Pitt Med, he holds the position of internal president for Pitt's Latino Medical Student Association chapter and serves as one of the coordinators of SALUD.
Alejandra Curbelo-Paz was born in Placetas Cuba, and moved to Miami where she studied Health Sciences in the University of Miami. She is passionate about Oncology, Language Equity, and understanding how social determinants of health impact patient experiences, especially among asylum and refugee populations. She aims to advocate for marginalized voices in healthcare and contribute to holistic approaches that prioritize inclusivity and well-being.
Edidiong Ekpo was born and raised in Round Rock, Texas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Theatre Arts and Studies from Johns Hopkins University. At Pitt, she is co-coordinator for EMSA and Health Policy & Advocacy co-liaison for SNMA. Her research, community service, and extracurricular interests revolve around increasing diversity in both academia and in the health care field. She hopes to combine these passions along with an avid love for the social sciences and humanities into her career as a physician.
Amitha Halthore is from Chadds Ford, PA and attended the University of Pittsburgh where she studied Neuroscience and Film and Media Studies. She is passionate about the medical humanities and addressing health inequities for children. At PittMed, she serves as co-coordinator for the Birmingham Free Clinic, Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Interest Group, and Oncology Patients and Loving Students (OPALS). In her free time, she loves to visit museums, coffee shops, and add to her jigsaw puzzle collection.
Korrina Gidwani is originally from Fairfax, Virginia and attended the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a B.S. in neuroscience, two minors, and two certificates. At Pitt Med, she is involved with the Guerrilla Eye Service and MusiCare and serves as co-coordinator for the DR/IR Interest Group and Culinary Medicine Interest Group. Within SMFP, Korrina will further explore her passions for addressing cultural & language barriers in healthcare, integrating medicine with the humanities, and engaging in public and global health research.
Maheen Ibrahimi is from Hershey, PA and graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2023 where she majored in Neuroscience and minored in Islamic Studies. At Pitt Med, she is the coordinator for Women’s Center Clinic, Refugee Health Advocacy Project, Ultrasound in Medicine, and AMMSA. She is passionate about advocating for refugee health and women’s health, while also exploring the impact of health disparities on these communities.
Kero Kamel loves the outdoors, music, summer AND winter from the burbs of Pittsburgh. Kero is super grateful to serve with and learn from those living in parts of this beautiful city which he has not frequented as much as he should having grown up here.
Eugene Kim was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. In his previous life, he was a pianist and composer, and worked in community music education before shifting towards medicine. Living into this new path, he looks forward to getting to know the good citizens of Pittsburgh and being of lasting service to them.
Justice Marin was born and raised in New York City. He attended The State University of New York at Purchase. Upon graduating, he worked as a street medicine medical assistant with the Center for Urban Community Services in New York. There, he worked to address healthcare disparities seen with people who experience homelessness. His interest is to improve healthcare access through providing medical education to marginalized communities.
Eric Mason was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He moved to California, where he completed a Bachelor's and master’s in chemical engineering at Stanford University, where he found a passion for empowering communities through science. He is an MD/ PhD with joint appointments at the University of Pittsburgh-Carnegie Mellon (CMU). He serves Pitt as the SNMA treasurer and MSTP Second Look committee member. He is primarily interested in community-based research, where he empowers communities to make a change and find technological solutions that fit their needs. He plans to make social medicine and equity the primary focus of his prospective Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction at CMU.
Chinaza Ndee was born in Nigeria, raised in Houston, Texas, and completed two undergraduate degrees in Natural Sciences and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She serves as the Pitt Med SNMA MAPS/POMS Liaison and Homewood Home Visits Coordinator, as well as her class SHARP rep. She is primarily interested in community work, primary care, and health for the underserved, a passion that she hopes to continue throughout her journey in medicine.
Ore Odeniyi is a Nigerian American born in Philadelphia who grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021 with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and minor in Chemistry. She serves as the Pitt Med SNMA Vice President, UPSOM Admissions Recruitment Coordinator and Plastic Surgery Interest Group Coordinator. In her limited free time, she is a soccer coach and a music producer working on a couple projects. She is primarily interested in global health, surgical outcomes in trauma/plastic and reconstructive cases and its psychological effects in underserved communities, nationally and abroad.
Lola Ortiz-Whittingham grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and attended the University of Miami for college where she studied Microbiology and Immunology. She is an MD/PhD student with interests in community based participatory research, neighborhood thriving and resilience, and health equity.
Teja Pulavarthi, class of 2027, grew up in Troy, Michigan and attended the University of Pittsburgh for his undergraduate education and Master of Public Health. He has an interest in preventative health and population-level solutions with a passion for photography, clothing, and music of all kinds.
Monet Weldon is a non-traditional, first year medical student from Virginia. Through SMFP, she hopes to help foster a sense of community in Pittsburgh and help keep residents healthy.
Social Medicine Fellows 2023
Maya Albanowski is a second-year medical student from Evans City, PA who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022 with a BS in microbiology and a BPhil in English writing. She is a coordinator of the OB/GYN interest group and is passionate about accessibility to reproductive health care.
Brianna Brooks grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to medical school she earned a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and was awarded a two-year research fellowship with the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. With the Social Medicine Fellows, she enjoys partnering with the McKeesport neighborhood and writing for the Advocacy Newsletter.
Emma Bryant is from Syracuse, New York and attended the University of Pittsburgh where she studied Biology and American Sign Language. She is most involved in providing language and disability access within both the healthcare and community sphere.
Tonge Enoh emigrated from Cameroon to Maryland during middle childhood. She completed her undergraduate education at Towson University, earning a degree in Health Education and Promotion with a Community Health concentration. Prior to beginning medical school, Tonge worked in school/community health, helping students across an urban school district access free vision services. At Pitt Med, Tonge is involved in the SNMA, volunteers at a few free clinics, and coordinates a couple community service initiatives. Tonge is interested in global health policy, and in the future hopes to reconcile herself as both a physician and public health practitioner.
Kevin Huynh grew up in Los Angeles, CA and graduated from UCLA with a degree in Computer Science. He hopes to combine his interests in engineering and medicine and is currently conducting research relating to caregivers of children with medical complexity.
Faith Kehinde was born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania. She attended the University of Pittsburgh where she earned her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience in 2022. Faith also serves as the 2023-2024 Pitt Med SNMA chapter president & historian. She is passionate about health disparities in all contexts, but especially in the context of sports medicine, and hopes to ensure that parents and athletes alike have access to the resources and personnel necessary to have active and fulfilling lives.
Sriya Kudaravalli is a second-year medical student and social medicine fellow who’s passionate about improving health literacy in marginalized communities and creating change through policy. She’s working on a project called Black Birthing Bridges, which is aimed at increasing the knowledge of pregnant black women on various health topics like nutrition and diabetes management. She’s also helping program new health initiatives for the Hill District community in Pittsburgh.
Tien Nguyen is from Fort Worth, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin where she majored in Biology Honors and minored in Health Communication. Her passions lie at the intersection between women’s health and social equity. She conducts research on patient-provider communication in obstetric care and on support for mothers facing intimate partner violence and substance use. She is also the co-coordinator for the Women’s Health Area of Concentration. Outside of medical school, she enjoys indoor gardening, playing piano, and singing!
Isabella Salas-Allende is an MD-PhD candidate from Long Island, New York. She attended Cornell University, where she received a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior. She then completed her master’s degree in Human Nutrition at Columbia University. Currently, she serves as the President External of Pitt’s Latinx Medical School Association chapter and co-coordinator for the Student Interest Group in Neurology. As a Peruvian-American, she is committed to addressing health inequities and the unique challenges faced by those who migrate to the US, especially within the Latino community.
Samantha Syme is from Pittsburgh, PA and attended Barnard College for undergrad, where she majored in Neuroscience with a concentration in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. Before medical school, she conducted research focused on the cognitive effects of cancer treatment. She is passionate about connecting patients and families with healthcare across the Pittsburgh area and about making clinical research more inclusive of underserved and diverse populations.
Lilly Tang was born in Shanghai and grew up in Philadelphia. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a major in Neurobiology and a minor in Education. She is passionate about using her background in neuroscience and arts to improve mental being for underprivileged communities. At Pitt Med, she is involved in Guerilla Eye Service, Health Buddies, and MusiCARE. In the future, she aspires to integrate both research and advocacy in her practice as a physician scientist.
Anna Vogel is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and received her B.S. from the University of Cincinnati, where she majored in Medical Sciences and completed a certificate in Global Health Studies. Her current clinical interests include Infectious Diseases, Palliative Care, and Pediatrics. Anna is interested in pediatric social determinants of health, especially those that affect early childhood (0-5) development, such as childcare access. At PittMed, Anna serves as co-coordinators for Booksburgh and the Palliative Care Interest group.
Vivian Wang was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is most passionate about using policy, advocacy, and clinical research to ameliorate health disparities, particularly related to gender-affirming care and women's healt
Amy Yu is originally from the Philadelphia area and received her BS in Biostatistics and BA in Biology from UNC-Chapel Hill. She has a keen interest in refugee and immigrant health. In her free time, she enjoys doing yoga, painting, and spending as much time as possible in nature.
Lauren Yu is from Reading, PA and went to Pitt for her undergraduate studies where she majored in Neuroscience and Sociology. She took a gap year doing Compass AmeriCorps, primarily working with immigrants and refugees. She is interested in primary and preventative care and hopes to continue engaging in community work that addresses structural inequities (such as inadequate language accommodations) in health care delivery throughout her medical career.
Social Medicine Fellows 2022
Nana-Hawwa Abdul-Rahman was born and raised in Ghana. She completed her undergraduate education at the State University of New York, University at Albany where she graduated in 2019 with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Biology. She completed her master’s degree in Biomedical Science at the University of Pittsburgh in 2021. She likes to paint in her free time and is passionate about research and addressing health inequities in Ghana and in the US.
Aniruddh (Anu) Ajith is passionate about preventive medicine, is pursuing an MD/PhD in epidemiology, and is clinically interested in family medicine or pediatrics. Currently, Anu directly serves communities through COVID-19 vaccine clinics and the CATCH program.
Brianna Blake is a native of Prince George's County, Maryland. She attended the nation's First Degree-Granting Historically Black College University, Lincoln University of PA where she earned a B.S in Biology and a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Bioinformatics. Brianna is the 2022-2023 SNMA President. She is passionate about understanding the association of metabolism and cardiovascular risks in minority communities through research, longitudinal community engagement, and leveraging the innovations of medicine.
Emely Tatiana Carmona was born in Worcester, Massachusetts but raised in Cuenca-Ecuador, where her family is from. In 2014 she started medical school at the University of Cuenca in Ecuador. Then, in 2017, she decided to start her bachelor’s degree in Biology at Pitt, with a minor in Chemistry and a certificate in Global Health. Her interest is to advocate and improve health care access and quality for those who migrate to the US, especially the Latino community.
Marisa DelSignore is from Pittsburgh, PA and attended Washington University in St. Louis where she majored in Anthropology on a Global Health and Environment track and minored in Chemistry. At Pitt Med, she serves as co-coordinator for the Refugee Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) and Global Health and Underserved Populations interest groups, and she is devoted to building sustainable healthcare systems that address complex social and medical needs of marginalized populations, particularly refugee and immigrant communities.
Soukaina Eljamri was born in Rabat, Morocco, but grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Pittsburgh where she received a B.A. in Anthropology. She is interested in community-based advocacy and policy work to promote equity in healthcare.
Tracey Freeman is an MD/PhD student pursuing a graduate degree in Microbiology and Immunology with a clinical interest in Infectious Diseases. She is passionate about divesting medical systems from the carceral state and her goal is to tie health justice initiatives to frameworks of community empowerment and liberation.
Nikita Kedia was born in India and grew up in New Jersey. She went to the University of Maryland, College Park where she majored in Bioengineering. She hopes to use her engineering background to work on developing technology for low-resource settings and improving healthcare accessibility. At Pitt Med, she is involved in the Guerilla Eye Service and is the advocacy chair for the Human Rights Clinic. In the future, she hopes to incorporate both research and advocacy into her practice as a clinician.
Avanish Madhavaram is from Waxhaw, North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2020. Prior to medical school, he spent a year of service in Washington, D.C. working as a nursing assistant in a respite care facility for men experiencing homelessness. At Pitt Med, Avanish helps coordinate Geriatric Experiences for Medical Students, Harm Reduction Student Alliance, and the South Asian Medical Student Association.
Meeti Mehta was born in Toronto, Ontario and grew up in Orlando, Florida. She went to the University of Central Florida, where she earned a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology. She is passionate about serving marginalized communities and reducing barriers to health care access.
Caitlin O’Brien grew up in Clarksville, Maryland and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2020 with majors in Biochemistry and Peace Studies. Before medical school, Caitlin served as a year-long volunteer with the street medicine organization Operation Safety Net in Pittsburgh, and she continues to work with the organization as a medical student. She is particularly interested in Family and Addiction Medicine and is pursuing research in expanding the role of healthcare providers in harm reduction practices and amplifying voices of individuals who use drugs.
Helena Oft is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and Germany; Helena's passion is bridging cultures and meeting people where they are. As an MD/PhD candidate studying traumatic brain injury and neuroinflammation, her emphasis is on restructuring medicine to better meet the needs of special populations, especially those experiencing sexual violence and/or homelessness.
Chiazam Omenyi is from Ellicott City, Maryland, and her family is originally from Nigeria. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and took a few gap years to work in clinical research. She is passionate about addressing health disparities in the community and is currently conducting research in postpartum fourth trimester care.
Miracle Rogers is a native of Miami, Florida. She earned her Masters Degree in Bioengineering and her Bachelor’s degree in Health & Exercise Science with a minor in Dance from Syracuse University. She is also a recipient of the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship. Miracle is passionate about helping students of color excel in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in order to help increase access and reinforce the pipeline. She is excited to embark on this new journey as a Social Medicine Fellow and work with youth and patients in Homewood.
Katarina Schneiderman likes to say her hometown is dually Mason, Ohio and Trnava, Slovakia, and earned a B.S. in Neuroscience from The Ohio State University. She is keenly interested in women’s and gender minority sexual/reproductive health, supporting refugee and immigrant communities, and medical education (particularly regarding social determinants of health and systemic inequity).
Sydney Sharp is originally from Silver Spring, Maryland. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences and B.A. in African American Studies from the University of Maryland - College Park. As an undergraduate, she was recognized as a Banneker-Key Scholar, the most prestigious honor for a student, and served as a mentor and advocate for teens living with sickle cell disease. At Pitt Med, she serves on the SNMA executive board, ELEAP student committee, and is a co-coordinator for the Otolaryngology interest group. Sydney has participated in numerous research projects related to health disparities in the African American community with a particular focus on cardiovascular disease and fetal functional brain connectivity.
Rachel Weger grew up in Berwyn, PA and earned a B.S. in Neuroscience with a certificate in Community-Based Research from American University. Before medical school, she conducted research at NIH studying health disparities in pain. She is interested in primary care and particularly in immigrant and refugee health.
Social Medicine Fellows 2021
Zainab Balogun was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. She completed her Pre-medical undergraduate degree at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and my Biomedical Masters at the University of Pittsburgh. My passion lies in closing healthcare disparities and advocating for health literacy for better outcomes in my country, Nigeria, and the United States.
Nia Buckner was born in Pittsburgh, but raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2019, Nia graduated summa cum laude from Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University, and in 2020 completed a master’s degree in biomedical science at the University of Pittsburgh. With a passion for mentoring, Nia enjoys giving back to the Pittsburgh community and beyond by encouraging and empowering the youth in their pursuit of healthcare careers.
Maria Chroneos grew up largely in Texas and central Pennsylvania, but her family is originally from Greece and Croatia. She completed her undergraduate degree in cognitive science at Johns Hopkins University, where she also minored in French. She feels passionately about addressing the complex factors that underlie medical injustice and health disparities. Presently, she helps organize APSA’s 21-month lecture series to encourage medical and science professionals to build habits toward addressing systemic racism in our society. She is also a co-coordinator for the Education in Rare Disease interest group at Pitt Med and volunteers for the rare disease non-profit CureAHC. Maria’s research interests include understanding how health disparities impact child brain health outcomes across development, and how to dismantle these barriers. She is currently pursuing an MD-PhD in cognitive neuroscience, and is considering a career in pediatric neurology to continue serving the needs of underserved pediatric patients. In her spare time, she enjoys food, music, exploring the city and nature, and travel. She is excited to gain a better understanding of the needs of Pittsburgh communities through the SMF Program!
Nerone Douglas was originally born in St. Lucia and lived in Guyana before immigrating to Ossining, New York. He went to Stony Brook University on Long Island and got his BS in Biochemistry with a minor in Chemistry, and then ventured out to Pittsburgh to complete his Masters degree. He has many interests that center around community based medicine and increasing the representation of black and African American men and women in the future physician workforce. He is very passionate about mentorship and want to be the integral piece for students and community members to feel empowered and charged to invest in themselves and their futures. He hopes to one day pursue beyond the US borders to provide care and build community infrastructures back in his home country and others.
Oluleke Falade was born in Nigeria but grew up in Houston, Texas. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Pittsburgh where he majored in Chemistry and minored in Sociology. He is passionate about mentorship and serving disadvantaged communities.
Renee Hart is originally from Toronto, Ontario, but spent some of her early years in Lyon, France and formative years in West Palm Beach, Florida and Rockville, Maryland. She went to Villanova University, where she received her B.S. in Biochemistry with a minor in French and Francophone studies. Renee was also a member of the varsity women’s soccer team. During her gap years, Renee volunteered within her community, worked as a medical assistant in a dermatology clinic, completed her M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and conducted clinical research in fertility treatment. She has interests in women’s health and cardiology and is passionate about the intersection between race/ethnicity and these specialties. She hopes to improve health outcomes in her community by identifying and tackling the social needs of underserved and underrepresented patients.
Allie Heymann is originally from Portland, Oregon. She earned her BS in Science, Technology, and International Affairs from Georgetown University and spent time working for the State Department's Office of International Organization Affairs. From 2016-2018, she worked as part of a 14-person implementation team installing Epic’s EHR at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUB) where she oversaw the ED, L&D, NICU, Critical Care, Core Nursing, and Quality teams. Most notably, she spearheaded efforts to create the first Lebanese closed-loop barcoded medication administration system. After leaving Epic, Allie completed her post-baccalaureate pre-medical education at Goucher College before attending the University of Pittsburgh SOM. Allie is currently working on research projects with environmental justice and adolescent sexual health focuses, and serves as the president of Pitt's Medical Students for Choice chapter.
Varun Mandi is an M.D/Ph.D. candidate originally from Orange County, California. He attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he received a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a B.A. in History & Philosophy of Science. Observing high rates of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in patients from Pittsburgh’s under-resourced communities, Varun began volunteering and translating at the Birmingham Free Clinic as an undergraduate. During field work in southern Mexico, Varun worked with patients and providers to understand how traditional Mayan and allopathic understandings of type 2 diabetes balance. He has since explored in philosophy studies how race and built environment are tied, and also has strong interests in narrative medicine. Varun is especially passionate about bringing genomic technologies and precision medicine to underrepresented communities to better understand and treat cardiometabolic complications.
Jeni Morrison is from Setauket, New York. Before medical school she majored in Film Studies and began a career in documentary film editing, which taught her a lot about policy change and immigration reform. Jeni entered medical school with strong interests in serving elderly populations and chronic pain patients. The pandemic year has increased her interest in the barriers facing elderly populations, and since beginning medical school she is increasingly interested in addiction medicine. At Pitt, Jeni co-coordinates student interest groups: Booksburgh and Addiction Medicine interest group. Jeni hopes that in her future career she will be a practicing physician and researcher.
Jeyani Narayan is from Minnesota. She majored in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and minored in Entrepreneurship and Management at Johns Hopkins University. She has a keen interest in global health and wants to work towards developing and improving sustainable health systems in underserved communities in her career. Jeyani is passionate about attacking the root causes of health disparities and is doing so as co-coordinator of Pitt Students for One Health, the Global Surgery Interest Group, and the Asylum Clinic. She is working on research to study how social determinants of health predict management of cancer care at UPMC.
Abigail Rubio grew up in Wexford PA and earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a MPH in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She was elected the President External of LMSA for the 2021 year. Her goal is to serve and be an advocate for the Latino community.
Keerthi Samanthapudi was born in India and grew up in the Pittsburgh area. She attended the University of Pittsburgh where she earned a B.S. in Economics with a minor in Chemistry. Keerthi is a passionate advocate for equitable health and anti-poverty policy, and has been involved in grassroots work for the past 3 years. At Pitt Med, she serves as a coordinator for the Health Policy Advisory Board, as well as the Global Health and Internal Medicine Interest Groups. She is pursuing a scholarly project on community interventions for childhood asthma in Pittsburgh. Still undecided on her specialty interest, Keerthi plans to dedicate time toward advocacy, community health, and her love for Indian classical dance in whatever path she chooses!
Social Medicine Fellows 2020
Julia Aepfelbacher is originally from Portland, Oregon. After graduating high school she spent a year teaching English in Nepal where she first developed a passion for social medicine and the social determinants of health. She continued to grow these interests at the University of Maryland where she majored in Health and Social Inequality and participated in research projects exploring racial and gender inequalities. After completing her undergraduate studies Julia spent two years as a post-baccalaureate fellow at the NIH conducting clinical research focused on HIV-associated commodities including psycho-social outcomes. During her time in D.C she worked as a domestic violence liaison for the Metropolitan Police Department where she developed an interest in intimate partner violence and its sequelae, something she plans to continue exploring through qualitative research in medical school. Julia is interested in a career conducting socially conscious community based research surrounding health issues that affect marginalized populations. She hopes to improve population level health in whatever specialty she ends up in.
Donald Bourne is originally from Portland, Oregon. He received his BS in Microbiology from Oregon State University and his MPH in Epidemiology from Oregon Health & Science University. After graduate school, he spent three years working for the Department of Veterans Affairs Evidence Synthesis Program. Currently, he leads Pitt's Students for a National Health Program chapter and serves as a co-coordinator for Pitt Med’s Health Policy Advisory Board. He is interested in health policy research and, in addition to his MD, he is pursuing a PhD in Health Services Research and Policy.
Rachel Eleazu was born in Nigeria and grew up in New Jersey. She went to University of Pittsburgh and received a B.S. in neuroscience with minors in Africana studies and chemistry. She is interested in neurology and women’s health. She was elected as PittMed President of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) for 2019-2020. Her hobbies include freelance photography, modeling, and cooking!
Rachel Fogel is originally from Toronto, Ontario, but grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. After completing her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, she spent two years working as the community outreach and recruitment coordinator for the HIV vaccine clinical trials program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Rachel hopes to pursue a career in infectious diseases by way of either internal medicine or OB/GYN and is passionate about HIV prevention and sexual health promotion in urban underserved communities.
Soohwan Jung is from Seoul, South Korea. He did his undergraduate studies in Linguistics at UCLA and completed the post-baccalaureate premedical program at Johns Hopkins University. During his time in Baltimore, he volunteered with Soccer Without Borders as a mentor for a newly arrived refugee family. He hopes to work as a Med-Peds trained physician and dreams that our society would be better able to offer protection to those that are victimized by the society itself.
Anne McDermott is from Charleston, South Carolina and attended Wofford College where she majored in Biology. After graduating, Annie completed two years of AmeriCorps service through Teach for America in Connecticut. Working as a Biology teacher at an underfunded and underperforming public high school, she witnessed how inequity engrained within society colored every facet of her student’s experiences, particularly in their education and health. Since beginning medical school at Pitt, Annie has continued to pursue her passion for community service and social justice by holding the position of Service Chair for her class and volunteering at the Birmingham Free Clinic and the Women’s Clinic.
Udit Modi is originally from Sayreville, New Jersey. Before medical school, he majored in Global Public Health and Chemistry at New York University. Through his coursework, Udit became interested in the impact social determinants of health can have on various vulnerable and minority populations, especially focusing on the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and diet-related disease. During undergrad, he also spent much of his time volunteering with various community organizations in NYC to help address the unique needs of these populations. Udit is interested in interdisciplinary research that investigates how technology and health care policy can propagate or address inequities in health outcomes. At Pitt, Udit is also a coordinator of the Birmingham Free Clinic, which treats underserved patients and is a coordinator of the Health Policy Advisory Board. Outside of school, Udit is passionate about cooking food, eating food, writing about food, and everything else there is about food. In the future, Udit hopes to be both a practicing physician while also conducting health policy research.
Katelyn Ripple is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Global Health from Duke University. Katelyn has volunteered in underserved areas at home and abroad, including as a leader in training American high school students on how to best serve families within rural Guatemala. She now hopes to pursue a career in improving health care disparities and patient relations.
Sahar Shaikh is from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. She attended Wesleyan University where she received her BA in Political Science. Sahar’s interest in social medicine began at Wesleyan, where she became actively involved in a refugee advocacy group and began working with resettled refugees in New Haven, CT while also completing her pre-med classes. Before beginning medical school, Sahar spent two years working as a research coordinator for the department of pulmonary medicine at the VA Hospital of Pittsburgh. She also spent a total of six months working in refugee emergency response on the island of Lesvos, Greece. Sahar is especially passionate about working with immigrant communities in Pittsburgh, specifically refugee communities who often face multiple barriers to accessing medical care.
Sabina Spigner is originally from Southern California but has lived in PA since 2012 for her college and graduate education. She holds an M.S. in Biology from Chatham University and an M.P.H. from the Jefferson College of Population Health. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with her Bachelors degree in Neuroscience and Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies. Her interests include medical education, sexual and gender minority health/healthcare, diversity and inclusion, and reproductive health. Sabina plans to pursue a career as an OB/GYN and aspires to run a health clinic for patients who are underserved and underrepresented in medicine.
Kailyn Witonsky is pursuing an MD/PhD in Epidemiology. Her passion for social medicine grew through community-based service learning, including serving as a mental health advocate on her college campus, and through participation in an NIH program on health disparities. These and other experiences have cemented her passion for research and advocacy in advancing health and tackling health disparities. Her specific research interests include applying analytical and predictive methods to investigate population neuroscience questions in clinical and community settings.
Social Medicine Fellows 2019
Ayanna Garland is from Prince George’s County, MD. She received her BS in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics and a minor in Spanish Language, Business, and Culture from the University of Maryland, College Park. During her gap year, she conducted research for the Military HIV Research Program to understand the cellular immune responses to HIV in addition to the peptides from the HIV virus that were stimulating an immune response. Ayanna has volunteered in numerous underserved areas including a community hospital in her hometown. Witnessing firsthand how health disparities affect health outcomes within her own family further motivated her to pursue medicine because she aspired to eliminate these disparities. She currently serves as the president of the Student National Medical Association and a regular volunteer with the Women’s Clinic. She hopes to pursue a career in OBGYN and to open a women’s clinic one day to provide free healthcare to all women, especially those in underserved areas.
Martine Madill is originally from Bellingham, WA. She attended Stanford University for her undergraduate degree, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Human Biology. Her passion for social medicine started at Stanford, both in her community health classes and as a coordinator for a social needs assessment program in the emergency department. After pursuing a post-baccalaureate premed program at Mills College, Martine worked at a health technology startup in Los Angeles as well as competed in synchronized figure skating at the national level. Currently, Martine is one of the student health representatives for her medical school class and enjoys volunteering at UPSOM free clinics. She is conducting research on social determinants of health and firearm injuries among pediatric trauma patients. She is particularly interested in children’s health disparities and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on health outcomes. Martine hopes to pursue a career in pediatrics and work with urban underserved populations.
Jad Hilal Before becoming an MD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh, Jad earned a degree in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh with a concentration in International Relations and a focus on Middle-East politics. After undergraduate studies, Jad served as a Fellow with the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs in Pittsburgh, performing neighborhood assistance and property value analysis for the Borough of Wilkinsburg and working for Health Monitoring Systems, a public health surveillance company covering many hospitals throughout much of the United States. He then authored a white paper regarding the state of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome management from the perspectives of public health, public policy, and healthcare. Jad is an avid violinist as well, playing regularly with several groups across a variety of musical genres.
Social Medicine Fellows 2018
Lauren Auster is originally from the Chicagoland area. She received her BA in Biology and minors in Sociology, French, and Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University. She enjoyed classes on social inequality, mass incarceration, and urban sociology which fueled her interest in social medicine. Lauren also has 8 years of experience working with Habitat for Humanity and helped found the Greater Cleveland Habitat Young Professionals chapter in Cleveland, OH. Currently she serves as a coordinator for the women's clinic and for the Student Alliance for Healthcare Reform/Students for a National Healthcare Plan. As a SHARP representative for her class, she provides peers with confidential mental health support. Lauren is especially passionate about community-centered medicine, access to care, and women's health. She is pursuing a qualitative research project on social determinants of health and childhood asthma in Pittsburgh. She hopes to provide care in health shortage areas and is considering a dual Family Med/Psychiatry residency.
Arthi Narayanan is originally from Seattle, WA. She attended the University of Pittsburgh for her undergraduate studies and majored in Sociology and Neuroscience with minors in History and Chemistry. She has been involved in Pittsburgh’s healthcare for the past five years. As an intern for the Consumer Health Coalition, she worked on healthcare advocacy for persons with disabilities and proposed ideas for the state healthcare budget. She also served on Pitt’s Student Government Board Health and Wellness Committee, to identify and meet the healthcare needs of students, and helped create an on-campus food pantry to address food insecurity among students. Currently, she serves as a co-coordinator for Pitt Med’s Health Policy Advisory Board. She is especially passionate about women’s health and reproductive justice and is currently conducting research on behavioral and psychosocial factors affecting postpartum weight management. She hopes to ultimately pursue a career as an OB/GYN.
Rafa Ifthikhar is originally from Rochester, NY. She attended Northwestern University where she received a BA in Psychology with a minor in Global Health. After graduating college, she served as a year-long fellow at Project Horseshoe Farm, a community health and education non-profit in rural Alabama. As a fellow, she was involved in managing and executing programs where she worked directly with youth, individuals with severe mental illness, elderly, and other vulnerable members of the community. Currently, Rafa serves as the coordinator for Pitt Med’s Geriatric Experiences for Medical Students and the Rural Medicine Interest Group. She enjoys volunteering in Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods and at UPSOM’s student-run free clinics. She is interested in qualitative and community-based participatory research with a focus on the social determinants surrounding health issues that affect marginalized individuals. In the future, she hopes to practice primary care in an underserved area and improve population health by leveraging the strengths of community organizations.
