Public Health Archives - Page 4 of 8

Sharanya Sriram

Sharanya Sriram graduated with a BS in molecular and cell biology from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) in 2024. As an undergraduate, she conducted research on the immune environment of pancreatic islets in diet-induced obesity and also completed a senior honors thesis on ribosomal protein differences in alpha and beta cells to investigate stress susceptibility in diabetes pathogenesis. Her global health work includes volunteering with street medicine teams to serve refugee communities in Tijuana, Mexico, and participating in the CATALYST program with the UCSD Bioregional Center, wherein she worked with agricultural leaders, indigenous activists, and policy experts to study how climate-related urban challenges impact community health across the U.S.-Mexico border. Sharanya has also studied in Bali, Indonesia, where she examined how indigenous Balinese healing traditions are integrated with allopathic medicine. Her interests span global perspectives on illness, community-oriented climate justice and resilience, and narrative storytelling.

As a Fulbright-Nehru scholar, Sharanya is conducting a qualitative ethnographic study across diverse clinical sites in Bengaluru, India, to examine how perceptions of social support in diabetes management are shaped by gender roles, rural–urban contexts, and beliefs in Ayurvedic medicine. Her research seeks to enhance cross-cultural understanding of the holistic and psychosocial dimensions of chronic disease care, and inform the development of tools to help healthcare providers assess and integrate social support into individualized treatment plans involving culturally informed medical practices.

Siddarth Seenivasa

Siddarth Seenivasa is a clinical research coordinator and biostatistician at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he contributes to neuroimaging and proteomics research focused on eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS). Siddarth’s academic foundation includes a double major in biology (molecular genetics) and mathematics from the University of Rochester. He holds a master’s in biostatistics from Boston University, where he also investigated the intersection of mental health, bullying, and neuroimmune disorders. Siddarth’s research interests encompass psychiatry, neuroimmunology, and computational biology, with a particular focus on immune system dysfunctions in pediatric populations. He has developed statistical models to examine neurobiological differences across patient populations, most recently patenting a model to distinguish between PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections), OCD, and various eating disorders; this model is currently awaiting validation from a larger cohort. Siddarth has authored and co-authored publications on neuroinflammation, including his latest work exploring estrogen’s role in the mesolimbic pathway in women with eating disorders. He has also presented his research at academic conferences, such as at the Digestive Disease Week and to that of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Siddarth plans to begin his MD-PhD journey upon returning to the U.S., with the goal of further integrating clinical practice and psychiatric research to deepen the understanding about mental health and neuroimmune disorders.

Siddarth’s nine-month Fulbright-Nehru project is seeking to develop a culturally adaptive screening tool for Indian youth to identify PANDAS, a condition for which no such tool currently exists. Toward this, he is working with Dr. Suvarna Jyothi at Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai, and conducting clinical interviews to evaluate the eating habits, medical history, and mental health of at-risk adolescents. The objective is to create a diagnostic tool that incorporates the sociocultural nuances of Indian youth, thereby facilitating early intervention and addressing the underdiagnosis of PANDAS due to limitations of Western diagnostic methods.

Jasmine Sears

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Jasmine Sears moved to Los Angeles to study environmental studies at the University of Southern California (USC) in 2017. While a student, she worked at various fashion companies, thereby developing a passion for and expertise in sustainability in the textile sector. She has also served as the vice president of USC’s Fashion Industry Association and as the Fashion & Aesthetic director for the school’s Black Student Assembly. In order to develop an international perspective on issues of commerce and the environment, Jasmine conducted research in China on global consumer culture through USC’s Global East Asian Studies Center. She graduated from USC in December 2020.

Jasmine has been working at Google since 2021. There, she helps organize weekly climate talks for Anthropocene, the company’s climate interest group. She has participated in Audubon’s Coastal Leadership Program, where she completed a capstone research project on Black Angelenos’ relationships with the Los Angeles coast and birding.

Jasmine’s Fulbright-Nehru research project is examining the opportunity to expand the adoption of wastewater treatment practices across India’s textile sector in order to improve water quality and economic, social, and environmental outcomes. She is analyzing local industry conditions in Mumbai and Tirupur, and interviewing textile company wastewater treatment leaders to develop scalable frameworks which non-compliant textile businesses can follow in determining how to manage their effluent output.

Lenya Schmidt-Neuhaus

Lenya Schmidt-Neuhaus holds a chemistry and environmental justice degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her academic and professional interests relate to sustainability. Lenya works in consulting – earlier in transportation planning, now in the clean energy space. As a deputy project manager dealing with energy advisory and environmental, social, and governance services, she manages projects that help clients to reduce their emissions and access cleaner energy. She also conducts policy analyses in this field. Lenya seeks to leverage this experience of analyzing policies and managing project flows to conduct research.

Lenya’s Fulbright-Nehru project is studying the PFAS that are found in common household products. Prolonged and repetitive exposure to these chemicals can lead to a variety of negative health effects. The research will provide policy recommendations to limit exposure to PFAS, provide existing policy examples that can be used as a starting point to draft PFAS regulations, and identify which key actors have the influence to make changes to the supply chains.

Rajat Ramesh

Rajat Ramesh graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in biochemistry and history. Committed to the study of both science and social impact, Rajat has conducted diverse research across biomedical science and public history – from developing chemical tools to study post-translational modifications under Dr. George Burslem to investigating the legacy of redlining and urban renewal with Dr. Brent Cebul. Rajat has led efforts within the Guatemala Health Initiative, supporting clinic operations at Hospitalito Atitlán and conducting field research to inform sustainable health interventions. He has also served as a patient care assistant at the Center for Surgical Health, helping patients access essential surgical services. Besides, he has coordinated STEM outreach through the Netter Center’s Moelis Access Science program. His community engagement includes volunteering with children with cerebral palsy and providing clinical services at a student-run clinic for homeless populations. A recipient of the Martin Wolfe Prize and the College Alumni Society’s undergraduate research grant, Rajat is currently a postbaccalaureate fellow at the NIH Vaccine Research Center, where he investigates HIV persistence under antiretroviral therapy using single-cell sequencing technologies.

Rajat’s Fulbright-Nehru project is investigating how electronic health record (EHR) systems can improve tuberculosis (TB) reporting in southern India, where communities face significant barriers to care and treatment adherence. The study is assessing the implementation of open-source EHRs in both rural and urban healthcare settings. Through semi-structured interviews with healthcare providers, it is exploring cultural, behavioral, and technical barriers – such as stigma and confidentiality concerns – that affect EHR effectiveness. This mixed-methods research aims to identify scalable solutions to enhance TB surveillance and reporting in resource-constrained regions of India.

Vedha Penmetcha

Vedha Penmetcha earned her bachelor’s degree in sports medicine and exercise physiology, with minors in global health technologies and medical humanities, along with a Spanish language certificate, from Rice University, Texas. Her passions lie at the intersection of medicine, social justice, and innovation.

Vedha’s global health design work is complemented by public health research. As a Stanford CARE research scholar, she evaluated racial and ethnic disparities in national breast cancer trends and advanced care planning, leading to presentations at national and international conferences. Inspired by these experiences, she began working with the International Health Systems Group at the University of Cambridge, where she is currently evaluating data-set diversity in health technologies.

Outside of research, Vedha is deeply committed to social justice. She has designed and led social justice programs on healthcare access. These experiences motivated her work as a Community Bridges Research Fellow, where she partnered with the Tahirih Justice Center to co-develop a mental health resource map tool for immigrant survivors of domestic violence.
Outside of her professional work, Vedha finds joy in movement and creativity. Trained in Bharatanatyam, she has been part of competitive Bollywood fusion and hip-hop dance teams in college. She also enjoys drawing, spending time with family and friends, and photography.

Vedha’s Fulbright-Nehru project is evaluating South Asia’s largest clinical breast examination (CBE) program launched by the Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation, Hyderabad, India. It is specifically looking at CBE performed by trained community health workers as a promising alternative to the high-cost mammography test.

Margaret Kuffner

Margaret Kuffner graduated cum laude from Boston College in May 2025 with a BA in international studies, with concentrations in global cultures and public health. Margaret developed a passion for the world at a young age, having lived in Switzerland with her family and later in Denmark as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. During her undergrad junior year, she studied abroad in India through the School for International Training where she interned with the Comprehensive Rural Healthcare Project. Margaret’s professional experiences include working as a research assistant for the Mass General Lymphedema team, volunteering at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, and serving as a patient care intern at South County Health in Rhode Island.

She previously served as secretary general and currently holds the role of deputy chief operating officer at the Eagle Institute for Global Affairs and Leadership. In this capacity, Margaret advances the organization’s mission of fostering a globally conscious society through community collaboration, educational programming, and forward-thinking initiatives. In her free time, Margaret enjoys training for her next marathon, experimenting with new recipes, and going to the beach with friends.

As a Fulbright-Nehru research scholar, Margaret is investigating the implementation and impact of the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC) as a tool to promote a shared responsibility of safety between healthcare professionals (HCPs) and mothers. The SCC increases safe birthing practices by addressing key risks (e.g., bleeding, infection, high blood pressure) at four pause points: on admission; just before pushing; soon after birth; and before discharge. The project hopes to prove that when HCPs educate mothers and their companions about the SCC by actively encouraging dialogue around cross-checking SCC steps, mothers will be empowered, patient–HCP communication will be enhanced, and pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period will be safer for mothers and their babies.

Neena Kapoor

Neena Kapoor is a third-year doctoral student in population health sciences (specializing in health systems) at Harvard University’s Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. As a member of the Quality Evidence for Health System Transformation (QuEST) research group, she collaborates with a global network of researchers to develop tools for measuring and improving health system quality. Neena has played a key role in managing and analyzing data from the People’s Voice Survey across more than 15 countries, capturing population perspectives on health systems worldwide. She has also contributed to research assessing the impact of COVID-19 containment policies on essential health service delivery across high-, middle-, and low-income countries.

Her work has appeared in multiple peer-reviewed publications like The Lancet Global Health, where she has examined user-reported confidence in health systems and quality of care globally. Neena holds a Master of Science in Global Health and Population from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Medicine, Health, & Society and Child Development from Vanderbilt University.

Through the Fulbright-Nehru research award, Neena is investigating the quality of care and care pathways for pregnant women with chronic conditions in India. For her research, she is building on emerging longitudinal data from Jodhpur and Sonipat with qualitative interviews of women with chronic condition, seeking to learn about their experiences while receiving antenatal care. The project is also collecting qualitative insights to provide actionable recommendations. The study aims to highlight health system gaps and user preferences in order to guide resource allocation that can improve maternal health outcomes in India.

Ethan Harned

Ethan Harned is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He is a pre-medical student with a background in psychology and compassionate medical care. At Notre Dame, he was awarded the prestigious Hesburgh-Yusko merit scholarship which is given to students who demonstrate scholarship, leadership, and commitment to social justice.

In his career, Ethan is pursuing a combined medical and public health degree to support pediatric patients who live in life-limiting conditions and to improve systems by working closely with them. Ethan exemplifies a steadfast commitment to global health and aims to make a meaningful impact on the lives of pediatric palliative care patients and their families worldwide.

Ethan’s Fulbright-Nehru project is studying how palliative care programs are designed for adolescents in India. The project is located in the states of Haryana and Kerala which represent contrasting environments for access to palliative care – while palliative care is an emerging specialty in Haryana, it is well developed in Kerala. He is conducting interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders such as policymakers, healthcare providers, caregivers, and adults in the 18–24 age group. These interactions are examining how palliative care programs in India meet the needs of their adolescent patients and the status of response to such programs. The aim of the research is to provide a framework to improve access to palliative care for adolescents across India and share lessons between the U.S. and India on caring for this population.