2023 Student Speaker Series
The annual Global Health Leaders Conference at Johns Hopkins University includes a Student Speaker Series, where selected students in grades 9-12 present on their own global health-related work or a global health topic of their interest. Presentation topics in the 2023 Student Speaker Series included pandemic preparedness, food insecurity, climate change, period poverty and stigma, antibiotic resistance, child poverty and mortality, cancer, mental health, and more.
Student information below is updated as of August 2023
Click the button below to visit The GHLC at JHU YouTube channel to view all 2023 Student Speaker Series presentations!
Abhiram Kapaganty | Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA
Abhiram Kapaganty is a rising Senior from Suwanee, Georgia attending the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology. As someone who aspires to work in the medical field as a dermatologist, he seeks to pursue a biology-related major in college. At school, he holds leadership positions in Academic World Quest and Quiz Bowl in addition to serving as an executive board member of Medfinity, a medical-based club at his school. Furthermore, he is an active volunteer who has tutored elementary and middle-school students, manages the HR department of an Atlanta-based environmental organization, and spends time volunteering at the hospital. In his free time, he enjoys catching up on politics, reading, and watching cricket.
Adrit Rao | Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, USA
Adrit is an incoming Junior at Palo Alto High School and a research intern at Stanford University. He is conducting AI research to solve healthcare problems at the point-of-care through accessible innovations. Adrit has authored several scientific publications and has presented his work at various research conferences. He is also an iOS app developer with 5 apps on the App Store. He is a WWDC Scholar ('20, '21), ISEF Grand Awardee ('22), and Sigma Xi Top Presenter ('22). Adrit is also the founder and CEO of Aretech Inc., a non-profit where he teaches app development to kids. He also serves as the board member of the Get Involved Foundation where he is developing apps that support community service initiatives.
Aishwarya Somakandan | Olentangy Liberty High School, Powell, Ohio, USA
Aishwarya, Miss Teen International USA 2022, is a junior in Powell, Ohio. Throughout her reign, she conducted research followed by a 2200 word research paper on limited reproductive healthcare access for women. Aishwarya also got the opportunity to share an interview panel with Miss Universe 2021, Haarnaz Sandhu. She is now part of the SHE program at James Comprehensive Cancer Center where the participation of women in biomedical fields is emphasized through independent research on cancer. Aishwarya has been playing chess competitively and ranks among the Top 15 Best Female Chess Players in Ohio. Aishwarya is the Founder of the OLHS American Red Cross where highlighting the biomedical services is her main goal as she aspires to become a dermatologist in the future.
Akhila Jallepalli | Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Austin, Texas, USA
Akhila Jallepalli is a rising senior at Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, TX. She is passionate about a research career in neuroscience. Akhila is currently a research intern at the Computational Neuroscience Lab at IIT, Madras. She is a co-founder of the LASA Research Club (that hosts researchers from multiple disciplines) and the Higher Orbit Foundation. She is also a Texas Music Scholar, an accomplished violinist, and an enthusiastic Carnatic vocalist. In addition, she is a Cho Dan (1st degree black belt) in Tang Soo Do. Exploring new foods and playing with Jhansi, her German Shepherd, are a few of her favorite pastimes.
Alivia Shen | Danville Area Senior High School, Danville, PA, USA
Alivia is a rising senior at Danville High School in Central Pennsylvania. She is hopeful in pursuing a career in oncology and is interested in conducting cancer research in the future. At school, she is the president of National Honor Society, the chapter lead of her school's Dear Asian Youth chapter, and the founder of Youth and Peace in Action. She is also involved in her school's culture club, spanish club, varsity cross country, and varsity swimming. She enjoys volunteering at her local hospital and also her local Ronald McDonald House. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends and family, going on long runs, and reading.
Amelia Kay Croney | Brentwood High, Brentwood, Tennessee, USA
Amelia Croney is a rising senior from Nashville, Tennessee who is passionate about both medicine and social activism. She intends on going into surgery while maintaining her strong commitment to volunteering and spreading resources in ways that benefit the LGBTQ+ community and other disenfranchised groups. She has worked with Vanderbilt medical residents, Teach For America, Human Rights Campaign, Pride chapters, and Oasis Center. Outside of her advocacy, Amelia is both a strong leader and dedicated researcher at programs such as Girls State, Mayor’s Youth Summit, and Governor’s School for Integration of Biological and Statistical Sciences. She began and leads her school’s Quiz Bowl teams and loves participating in Medicine Club, Mu Alpha Theta, and Latin Club.
Brittany Berlin | Florida Atlantic University High School, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
Brittany Berlin is a current junior at Florida Atlantic University High School located in Boca Raton, Florida. At FAU High, she participates in Model United Nations, Mu Alpha Theta, Student Government Association, the American Medical Student Association, Health Occupations Students of America, Advocates for Inclusion in Research, the International Thespians Society, and FAU College of Medicine's Project Grow. In addition to this, Brittany serves as the Executive Science Editor of the Young Global Scientists Journal and has had three research papers approved for publication.
Ananya Uddanti | Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Ananya Uddanti is a senior from Little Rock, Arkansas. Hoping to work in pediatric medicine, Ananya established a non-profit organization "Help2Inspire" in 2020 aiming to improve health literacy. Through her organization, she sponsored underprivileged girls’ education, conducted Thalassemia screening camps in rural parts of India and spearheaded other local community projects. She volunteers as camp counselor for children with disabilities and tutors at Kumon. At school, she is the Co-President of South Asian Students Association and founder of her school’s Red Cross chapter & Indian Dance Club. Ananya conducts research on cancer therapeutics at a local university and serves as Congressional Lead for American Cancer Society. Ananya runs an YouTube channel, practices classical Indian dance, and makes jewelry in her free time!
Anusha Singh | Vestavia Hills High School, Vestavia Hills, Alabama, USA
Anusha Singh is a rising senior from Vestavia Hills, Alabama. At school, she serves as a HOSA Chapter Officer, Editor-in-Chief of her school newspaper, and academic coordinator of her Science Olympiad team. Outside of school, she has over 500 hours volunteering at her local science museum, volunteers and shadows at local hospitals, and participates in independent and mentor-guided research, having published a paper. She hopes to pursue a career in either emergency medicine or pediatrics, and plans to join an organization such as Doctors Without Borders in the future to provide healthcare to those who need it most.
Audrey Su | Skyline High School, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Audrey is a rising senior from Salt Lake City, Utah, and works to achieve greater equity in healthcare for the underserved. She founded Para Tu Salud, a youth-led organization in Utah dedicated towards promoting health literacy– publishing material on various topics, from suicide prevention to diabetes. In the future, she aspires to be a physician. Aside from advocating for health equity, she does research on hepatocellular carcinoma at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and founded Title I Strings, a 501(c)3-certified nonprofit that brings free string music education to Title I elementary schools.
Ayush Desai | Arnold O. Beckman Highschool, Irvine, California, USA
Ayush Desai is a rising senior from Irvine, CA. He enjoys watching sports and plays competitive soccer. Ayush is involved in research through an internship at MedTronic neurovascular, a company specializing in stroke care and prevention. Ayush also volunteers locally and tutors children in his free time. He has previous lab experience at Irvine Valley College and through health science classes. Ayush hopes to major in biotechnology in order to create devices for the medical field and improve global health. He is also a member of the Orphan Assistance fund and the Medical Certificate Program.
Bhavitha Sunkara | BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
As a rising junior having passed many APs, Bhavitha is an avid learner with a special interest in neuroscience and psychology. To foster her passion in these fields, she leads the Mental Health committee at her school library and runs her school’s Neuroscience and Brain Bee Club, where she teaches students about neuroscience and psychology with engaging experiments. In addition, she has done independent research on the role of genetics in optic neuritis. She also loves to volunteer, and has been volunteering at a local hospital for over a year. She aspires to be a doctor specializing in neuroscience or psychology. In her free time, she loves to sing, play tennis, and listen to various styles of music.
Celine Sophia Dumitrascu | BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Celine Dumitrascu, or Sophia, as everyone calls her, is a rising sophomore at BASIS Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. She aspires to become a pediatric dentist or orthodontist as the adores kids and loves teeth. She is apart of her school's Academic Decathlon club and has won many awards at a national level. Celine loves volunteering at Honor Health Hospitals and the Scottsdale Public Libraries. She is passionate about writing and wants to publish her own book one day!
Chandra Suda | Bentonville High School, Bentonville, Arkansas, USA
Chandra Suda is a scientific researcher, developer, and educational STEM content creator in AI & medicine passionate about making quality healthcare accessible to everyone. His research includes projects recognized at the national and international level (ISEF Grand and Special Award). He is also the founder and president of the international non-profit Aimate, which focuses on making quality STEM education more accessible. Leading STEM education organizations and humanitarian volunteer teams, he has received U.S. Presidential and Congressional awards. Also, Chandra has been recognized as a 2023 Rise Global Finalist. His other interests include aviation (101 certified from Embry Riddle), civic engagement (serving in Mayor's Youth Council and Congressional Youth Cabinet), and cybersecurity (National Cyber Scholar).
Danika Gupta | The Harker School, San Jose, California, USA
Danika is a rising 10th grader from San Jose, California who is hoping to pursue a career at the intersection of Healthcare and Computation. She has been doing artificial intelligence projects since 6th grade and has published several research papers on Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Forecasting and Disease Spread Management via CO2 Monitoring. Danika is currently a Machine Learning Research Intern at PGX2 - a Pharmacogenetics company founded by individuals from Stanford and UCSF Medical. She is also the founder of Thrive Sri Lanka - a non-profit that works with the World Food Program and others to help Sri Lanka recover from the worst economic crisis in the country’s history. Danika’s interests range from AI and Computer Science to Bioinformatics, Cheminformatics, and Climate Science. She also enjoys volunteering with groups like ClimateMatch Academy on their Climate Science program, and mentors other students on AI and Data Science projects.
Diane Gui | John Fraser Secondary School, Toronto, Canada
Diane Gui is a rising junior at John Fraser Secondary School in Toronto, Canada. She has co-developed several AI diagnostics algorithms, including Project HeartScope, and is the president of her school's Visual Arts Club. Diane actively engages in digital arts, managing her arts creator account with 80k+ followers, and operates her own art commission business. Deeply committed to community service, Diane has volunteered over 400 hours as an English teacher and art assistant. She is passionate about medicine, biochemistry, and AI development, and aspires to enter the medical field in the future.
Prerana Manoj | Bishop Allen Academy, Ontario, Canada
Prerana Manoj is a 16-year-old AI Innovator, and entrepreneur. She is passionate about bridging gaps within healthcare, education, and sustainability with the power of artificial intelligence. In 2021, Prerana pitched her social enterprise start-up on Dragons Den, and was offered a $25K shared investment. She is also the co-founder and co-developer @Project HeartScope, which reached the Technovation Girls Finals, and will be going to San Francisco to pitch the idea with her teammate, Diane. Currently, she is a Human Computer Interactions Research Intern @Ontario Tech University, exploring emotions in online learning environments.
Dishita Agarwal | The Early College at Guilford, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Dishita is a senior at the Early College at Guilford, in Greensboro, NC. She has a keen interest in bridging science and policy to advance women’s and pediatric health. Dishita serves as a Youth Health Advisor for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, tackling Title V adolescent health policies with her fellow representatives. Inspired by her lifelong battle with a cardiac disorder, Dishita has initiated a state-wide effort to analyze the school health experiences of NC youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). This year, Dishita will serve on the Advisory Committee for the CYSHCN National Research Network, enhancing the work of doctors and medical professionals across the nation. This past summer, she interned with Duke Children’s Hospital, collaborating with Boston Children’s Hospital in developing cultural humility best practices. Within her school community, Dishita serves as a close mentor; she is president of Model United Nations, VP of Interact, and captain of three Science Olympiad teams.
Eesha Sagiraju | Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
Eesha is a rising junior at the Charter School of Wilmington and is fascinated with the intersection between computer science and healthcare. Through volunteering at Red Cross, interning for the Delaware Academy of Medicine, and serving as the State Vice President of Delaware Business Professionals of America, she has built on her STEM and entrepreneurship interests through community service hours, laboratory experience, and business competitions. Now, through her research in biocomputational modeling and precision medicine, Eesha has found an unwavering passion for drug delivery systems in cancer treatment, and one day she hopes to reduce the burden cancer patients face through innovative therapeutic practices. In her free time, you can find her shooting field targets at her local archery club.
Ekroop Kaur | Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon, California, USA
Ekroop Kaur is a rising junior from San Ramon, CA passionate about communicating health through journalism. She is a student journalist for the Wildcat Tribune, where she wrote an article about how California’s law, Proposition 31, took a step towards protecting youth by banning the sale of tobacco products, winning national and international awards expanding her outreach to youth worldwide. Ekroop is also a CourAGE Youth Health Coalition member and is on the Stanford REACH Lab Youth Action Board. She is also involved in eating disorder research and health advocacy interventions as well.
Emily Zhao | Chattahoochee High School, Johns Creek, Georgia, USA
Emily is a rising senior at Chattahoochee High School that aspires to pursue a career in dentistry. She has also conducted research and written a paper on the connection between oral health and general health. Other than research, Emily serves as her HOSA chapter's Vice President and was recently awarded first place at the International Leadership Conference in the dental terminology event. Outside of science, she spends much of her time dancing. She's won numerous awards and has attended American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive on a full scholarship. Furthermore, she likes to give back to her community through her nonprofit organization.
Erin Yoo | Lowndes High School, Valdosta, Georgia, USA
Erin Yoo is a rising junior at Lowndes High School in Georgia. She is the Founder and President of the Science National Honor Society. Her organizational and communication skills shine as the President of the Science Club and incoming Vice-President of HOSA. Her dedication extends to community service as Inaugural Secretary of the Statewide American Red Cross Club and Editor-In-Chief of the Georgia Region Youth Engagement Team's newsletters. Erin's achievements include being a USA Biology Olympiad Semifinalist and first place at the ABAC Regional Science and Engineering Fair. At the Georgia State Science Engineering Fair, her research earned her the 3rd Honors Ribbon in the Category and Overall. Erin aspires to positively impact children's Live Presentations and contribute to medical science.
Gabriel Leung | Holy Trinity School, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
Gabriel, a rising sophomore at Holy Trinity School in Ontario, Canada, holds the leadership positions as the head of Public Relations for the Model UN Club, co-Leader of the Peer Tutor Club, and student ambassador. He actively contributes to the community as an aquatic assistant instructor, a hospital volunteer, and a support group meeting administrator at Joy Beyond Vision Community (JBVC). Through his involvement with JBVC, Gabriel grasps the significance of timely medical treatment for visually impaired individuals. He advocates for the public education on eye health and inclusivity, aiming to enrich their lives through resources like life skills and vocational training. Gabriel's passion for continuous learning and making a positive impact drives his aspirations in medicine and global health.
Harshita Nagar | L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Harshita Nagar is a rising sophomore at the L&N STEM Academy. She is wishing to pursue a career in medicine and is a prominent member of her school Health Science Club. She is also actively involved in her school's Student Government and Model United Nations. Apart from her academic life, she is part of the school Swim and Cross Country Team. Harshita hopes to work internationally in the field of medicine to eliminate obstacles inhibiting people's access to healthcare.
Henry Ji | Stuyvesant High School, New York City, New York, USA
Henry Ji is a rising senior who attends Stuyvesant High School in New York. He's very passionate about public health. He is a captain of his school's debate team and also a member of his school's public health and red cross clubs. Henry is very active in learning more about how public health administration can tackle air pollution, working with a Yale graduate student to perform research on NYC's air pollution. In his free time, Henry likes to run, read, and dance. He is starting an internship with the New York Stem Cell Foundation on program management, where he hopes to understand how research institutions can better democratize knowledge. He hopes to study public health in college and work for a governmental institution when he grows up.
Huyen Nguyen | Westfield High School, Chantilly, Virginia, USA
Huyen is a rising senior from Centreville, VA. She is interested in pursuing a medical career in neurology/oncology and is passionate about global health, particularly the environmental side. Developing a love for research from her regional science fair about Eutrophication, she is currently researching with her biology teacher about eDNA and how it can impact how people view scientific technologies. To accommodate her interest in STEM and the environment, she leads the Environmental Protection Club, Pre-Med Club, and Science Olympiad. Aside from her school life, she has been involved with a non-profit organization called Fancy Cats and Dogs Rescues, where she has been rescuing sheltered animals for years. She is a girl who is up to try new things!
Hyejin Jinny Yeo | Emma Willard School, Troy, New York, USA
Jinny is a rising senior with a deep passion for chemistry and medicine. In her school community, she stands out as a founder and leader of various clubs and groups, including the chemistry society, yearbook design, dance class, and dorm leadership. From a young age, Jinny has embraced her identity as an artist, musician, and dancer as she expresses herself through art. Her athleticism shines through her participation in varsity field hockey and lacrosse during the fall and spring seasons. Beyond her school commitments, Jinny actively contributes as an English conversation partner at a local Korean restaurant, dedicated to serving her community. Her love for teaching is also evident in her consistent role as a science and math tutor at her school. 'Adventurous' aptly captures her dynamic spirit and approach to life.
Ishaan Busireddy | River Hill High School, Clarksville, Maryland, USA
Ishaan Busireddy is a hardworking, self-driven, passionate student interested in History, Civil Rights, International Relations, and World Cultures with good organization skills. He is interested in a career related to politics, international relations, and public health, the latter of which intrigues him because of its global ramifications. Having Live Presentationd through the Pandemic, he recognizes the value of global cooperation for world health and how trends and precautions across the world is important to each human being. His research with Parkinson's Prevalence takes a more unique methodologically-based perspective, analyzing and synthesizing previous studies' data from the viewpoint of how it was collected, determined, and understood. Therefore, he would like to contribute to global health to ensure human safety.
Ishani Bakshi | Edison High School, Edison, New Jersey, USA
Ishani Bakshi, is a rising sophomore from Edison High School. In school, she loves to participate in Model UN, Newspaper, National History Day, and Math Team. Over the past summer, she interned at a lab at UPenn to learn more about/practice NAD/BCA assays, immunoblotting, and cell culturing, and unrelatedly, work with a group at Tufts to get involved in epidemiology research. Most importantly, over the last year, she has worked with Professor Maurie Cohen and Ayushi Shah to learn more about food policy councils, and try to donate her efforts in her local food policy scene. In her free time, she loves to read anything with a pinch of romance, binge 8-season long shows, and blast a painfully basic (80% The Weeknd) Spotify playlist.
Ishita Kopparapu | Hathaway Brown, Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA
Ishita is a rising senior from Cleveland, OH. Her presentation, "From Local Initiatives to Global Impact: Uninsured Clinics as Advocates for Universal Healthcare," is a topic Ishita became passionate about from wanting to provide quality patient care. She is able to pursue this passion through her work at a local uninsured clinic. Her scientific interest lies in understanding the human brain and its ability to perform millions of tasks which she pursues through her work at Case Western Reserve where she studies the brain using a 3D stem cell model known as organoids. She has presented her research at various competitions and conferences including Harvard University. As a result of her love for STEM, Ishita founded a nonprofit organization called stEMPOWERher which strives to bring young girls into the STEM field. In the future, Ishita hopes to pursue a career in medicine along with business.
Jaidin Upadhyaya | Stephen F. Austin High School, Sugar Land, Texas, USA
Jaidin Upadhyaya will be a senior at Stephen F. Austin High School in Sugar Land, Texas. He is the President of the Speech and Debate Club and National Honor Society, President/Founder of an organization that creates student-led tutoring sessions and fundraisers to give back to educators, founder of an organization that helps high school students plan out their future, Co-Community head for Walk With A Doc (a foundation that aims to educate the public of health issues through physical activities), blood drive host, seasoned volunteer at local Museum of Natural Science, and is currently researching common food allergens with a physician. Jaidin is interested in Internal Medicine and hopes to be a practicing physician and medical professor one day.
Jay Patel | Calabasas High School, Calabasas, California, USA
Jay is a rising junior attending Calabasas High School in Calabasas, California, USA. He is extremely passionate about the field of medicine and has had a myriad of previous experiences in the medical field. This includes conducting research on mental health, shadowing an orthopedic surgeon, conducting a mock shoulder arthroscopy, and volunteering at a clinic for underserved individuals. Other than his passion for medicine, Jay loves public policy and civic engagement - he has started his own community service club and helps lead multiple non-profits (combining medicine), placed in the state while being on the board for the Top 7 Model UN Team in the world, and is a part of his school district and city's youth councils.
Jeremy Chae | Portola High School, Irvine, California, USA
Jeremy Chae is a rising senior at Portola High School in Irvine, CA. He is the captain of his school Science Olympiad team and also the president of the Biology Club. Jeremy also competes in HOSA and won 1st in Microbiology at the 2023 ILC. For fun, he also enjoys leading activities with the Culinary Club and likes to sing jazz and worship music. He is currently an intern at Palomar Health and Medtronic Neurovascular, and he hopes to one day become a doctor.
Joshitha Senthil | Brookfield East High School, Brookfield, Wisconsin, USA
Joshitha Senthil is a rising senior from Brookfield, WI who has an avid interest in women's health and is aspiring to become a gynecologist. She has explored her passion in many ways, such as writing a research paper on biomarker development for polycystic ovarian syndrome, shadowing doctors, and advocating for mammogram accessibility for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. She also opened the Brookfield chapter of MEDLIFE, is an executive board member in her school's HOSA and Red Cross chapters, and is a Speech and Debate captain. Outside of school, her hobbies are Indian classical dance, running, baking, and reading.
Julina Nakamura | Vista del Lago High School, Folsom, CAlifornia, USA
Julina is a rising junior from Folsom, CA who wants to pursue a career in medicine with a strong passion for neurology and oncology. She involves herself in volunteering at a local hospital and an Alzheimer's care center as well as a local food bank and reading for the blind. At school, she is president of the FEMO club which teaches English to foreign students and plays softball and golf for her school team. She loves playing violin as a member of Sacramento Youth Symphony, and spending her free time baking, enjoying J-pop music, and traveling with her family. In the future, she aims to help find a cure for incurable diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Karen Zhang | Mercer Island High School, Mercer Island, Washington, USA
Karen Zhang is a rising senior at Mercer Island High School in Washington. She is the VP of HOSA and a member of Coding Club and Leadership. This summer she was a Stanford SHTEM intern, focusing on VR/AR medical imaging and policy in surgical education. One of her future aspirations is to become a physician specializing in cross-cultural medicine. She hopes to explore the intersection of healthcare and equity, make healthcare more accessible in rural areas through low-cost technology. Outside of school, she likes to run, paint, bake, read, and volunteer at church.
Katie Neglia | Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana, USA
Katie is a rising senior at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. At her high school she is President of her school’s top all girls competition show choir, Accents. In addition, she founded and leads a local Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA) chapter, a national nonprofit organization working to advocate for organ donation registration and education. She’s highly involved in Carmel Dance Marathon where she fundraises for Riley Children's Hospital. She’s also involved in Cabinet student government, HOSA, Key Club, peer tutoring, NHS, and her school’s freshman mentoring program. In her free time Katie enjoys spending time outside hiking, traveling, and reading. Her future goals include attending medical school to become a pediatrician, and traveling around the world to improve global health.
Kevin Liu | High Technology High School, Lincroft, New Jersey, USA
Kevin is a rising senior at High Technology High School in New Jersey, with a deep passion for computer science and its applications. Currently, his focus lies in utilizing deep learning technology to tackle neurodegenerative diseases and address global challenges associated with these conditions. Kevin has presented his work at the American Junior Academy of Science and the International Young Researcher's Conference and has also sought to make a direct impact by founding the New Jersey Youth for Huntington’s Disease, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Huntington’s Disease patients in rural communities. With a strong drive for knowledge, Kevin aspires to pursue further studies in computer science and make impactful contributions through research and community engagement.
Khushi Patel | William P. Clements High School, Sugar Land, Texas, USA
Khushi Patel is a rising sophomore from Sugar Land, Texas with an interest in pediatric oncology and neuroscience. She has an immense desire to help the underprivileged and disadvantaged gain access to quality medical care. At school, she serves as an officer for her school's HOSA chapter and is a member of the varsity speech and debate team. She is the founder and president of Genxl's Houston chapter and aims to increase access to free STEM education for all children. Khushi is also a proud advocate for the specially abled and is a youth volunteer for Voice of Specially Abled People (VOSAP). She regularly publishes articles and organizes local events in the community that promote diversity and inclusion. In her spare time, she enjoys playing her guitar, reading, and stargazing.
Kimia Habibzadeh | Winston Churchill High School, Potomac, Maryland, USA
Kimia Habibzadeh is a rising junior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, MD. She has specific interests in biology, endocrinology, and public health. At school, she is the SGA Treasurer and Treasurer of the Science National Honors Society. She is also involved in school clubs, being the President of the Book Club and a club officer for her DECA chapter and the Women in Business club. Outside of school, Kimia enjoys doing Taekwondo, and she competes at the national level and is soon to be a black belt. In her free time, she volunteers at her Taekwondo studio and Saturday school, working with younger children to help them learn. She also enjoys playing piano, reading, and drawing. In the future, Kimia hopes to follow her interests and pursue a career in medicine.
Krish Nachnani | The Harker School, San Jose, California, USA
Krish Nachnani is a rising sophomore at The Harker School in San Jose, CA. With a passion for improving global health through technology, he aspires to obtain a degree in biomedical engineering. His most recent research project examines energy-efficient algorithms to detect and diagnose glaucoma in patients. Another of his research projects utilizes artificial intelligence to assist the visually impaired with currency differentiation. Currently, Krish is pursuing a neuroscience internship at Stanford. Besides academics, he loves to play soccer and plays for his school’s varsity soccer team. He is the president of the civic technology club, which aims to develop engagement in citizens to solve civic issues through creative tech and policymaking solutions. Krish is passionate about improving literacy worldwide and volunteers for a nonprofit organization, African Library Project, that promotes literacy in the African subcontinent.
Krithik Ashokkumar | East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
Krithik Ashokkumar is a rising senior at East Brunswick High School with a passion for STEM education and social impact. As a 2022-23 NJ Governor’s STEM Scholar, Krithik represented his county at statewide STEM conferences and participated in a student-led research project. Currently, he is a researcher at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, where he is first-authoring a neuroscience mini review investigating the impact of insulin on psychostimulant abuse. Additionally, Krithik is the founder of an international nonprofit that empowers underprivileged youth through educational opportunities, and he is a Director at Efforts for Youth Development in Bangladesh, spearheading impactful projects within Bangladeshi villages. As an EMT-in-training, Krithik hopes to give back to his community and help expand access to healthcare worldwide.
Leah Koutal | Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Acton, Massachusetts, USA
Leah is a rising sophomore from Acton, MA who is passionate about medicine, global health, and environmental science. She is involved in the teen volunteer program at the Discovery Museum, and enjoys working with kids to promote exploration and scientific inquiry. Leah often unites her interests with a love for writing, and has competed in Bow Seat's Ocean Awareness Contest and the Scholastic Art/Writing Competition, along with being an editor for her school's literary magazine. Leah also enjoys learning languages, and has studied French since the second grade. She has received recognition from the American Association of Teachers of French for her work. In her free time, Leah loves spending time with friends and family and jewelry-making.
Lily Chen | The Country Day School, King City, Ontario, Canada
Lily is a rising junior from a small town north of Toronto, Canada. She is interested in pursuing neuroscience in university. She is the President of the Health Science/HOSA club, Social Justice club and DECA at her school. She recently competed at DECA internationals as well. She is passionate in helping others. She dedicates most of her time volunteering at local libraries or tutoring. She is also spending time working on her EdX course at Harvard learning computer science. Aside from that, outside of school, she likes to play golf with her friends and family. She enjoys spending time outside, listening to Taylor Swift. She loves to travel and explore new places with friends.
Logan Rheault | Tesoro High School, Las Flores, California, USA
Logan Rheault is a rising senior at Tesoro High School, California. He is an auxiliary volunteer at his local hospital, represents his school as a Captain of Tesoro Tennis Team, and motivates others as the Tesoro Ambassador of the Community Science Cooperative. Logan also is involved in his school as the vice president of National Honors Society where he oversees and organizes school events such as fundraisers and senior banquets. Logan's hobbies include tennis, volunteering with his local community, and going out with friends. He aspires to have a career in microbiology research that also aligns with public health, combining his passion for scientific research with his heart for helping others.
Dilan Mummert | Tesoro High School, Las Flores, California, USA
Dilan Mummert is a rising senior at Tesoro High School, California. Dilan is a finalist for his M.I.R.E internship, a founder of his schools Tesoro S.T.E.M Olympiad as well as its Youth Psychology Society, and a volunteer at Mission Providence Hospital. Dilan also is very engaged with his community as he is the treasurer for his local youth group (MVAC) where he helps organize and fundraise for charity events. Outside of school, Dilan enjoys gardening, watching movies with friends, and biking. In the future, Dilan hopes to pursue a career in Biochemistry with a specific focus on public health.
Lori Khatchaturian | La Canada High School, La Canada Flintridge, California, USA
Lori Khatchaturian is a rising senior at La Canada High School, located in Los Angeles, California. At school, Lori is the Founder and Chairperson of the LCHS Sustainability Project, where she works with the school Principal and the University of Southern California’s Office of Sustainability to implement a recycling program and sustainable practices to her high school. Lori also works with Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles as a Junior Ambassador and an intern for their Sports Medicine Team. Recently, Lori conducted independent research in the nation of Armenia, discovering ways to implement prosthetics in developing countries. In the future, Lori hopes to be an innovator, specifically studying the intersection between the environment and human health.
Mahba Ahmad | Northwood High School, Irvine, California, USA
Mahba, a rising senior, desires to pursue a career in medicine. She enjoys learning new things while also applying what she has learned in her daily activities. She enjoys quality alone time as well as time with her family and friends. Running and hiking are two of her favorite outdoor activities because she likes nature. You can find her playing the piano or the guitar if you're wondering what she's up to on an stress-free summer evening.
Mary Balid | The Mary Louis Academy, Jamaica Estates, New York, USA
Mary Balid is a rising senior from Queens, New York interested in the intersection of Southeast Asian health and geriatric care. Her research has been recognized by the World Food Prize Foundation, Genome Medical Inc., and Weill Cornell Medicine. Currently, Mary coordinates intergenerational events for teenagers and older adults at DOROT, a non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating senior social isolation; as Filipino Club President at her school, she has similarly raised funds for Heart of Dinner, a non-profit organization supporting elderly Asians in New York City. Last year, Mary and her twin sister co-founded HaluHalo Journal, a literary and arts journal dedicated to highlighting works by Southeast Asian youth. In her spare time, Mary enjoys singing karaoke, crocheting, and searching for the nearest Gong Cha.
Maya Mohan | Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, USA
Maya is a rising sophomore at Palo Alto High School, California. She is the vice president of the club called Women in Data Science and is a key member of the Girls Who Code club. She is part of the Instrumental Music Program at her school and has been playing her flute since she was 8. She volunteers as a Rehab assistant at her local hospital and also volunteers at her local VA. Maya is interested in the fields of hematopathology and global health and is currently engaged in research on improving health outcomes for individuals with sickle cell disease in Africa. In the future, Maya hopes to use her education and training to improve world health.
Melani Shrestha | The Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, New York, USA
Melani Shrestha, an incoming Junior at The Bronx High School of Science in NYC, NY, is a driven and accomplished individual. With a strong passion for biomedical engineering and business, Melani is committed to making a positive impact in the healthcare industry. She actively participates in research as a Research Student at Columbia University and serves as the co-founder and President of the Heroes in Health club, promoting health initiatives. She is an intern at the NY Assembly office. Melani's talent in visual storytelling is evident through her role as the Secretary of Photography club, where she has refined her photography skills. Additionally, she is a board officer at NIURA, a startup company focused on developing audio headsets with electroencephalography (EEG) technology. NIURA aims to provide affordable and accessible neural biometrics for potential early detection of health abnormalities, along with enhanced music recommendations which makes this product feasible and cost-effective.
Micah Taw | West High School, Torrance, California, USA
Micah Taw is a rising senior who aspires to pursue a career in Health Sciences. Taw’s passion to be a health advocate inspired him to become a Los Angeles Department of Public Health Student Ambassador where he educates and promotes health and wellness. Additionally, Taw assists in research for the Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He is a 4-year Varsity member of his high school’s Boys Golf Team and the Golf Team Captain. Taw was a member of the 2022 Boys CIF State Cross Country Team and currently serves as Associated Student Body (ASB) President, National Honor Society (NHS) President, and Mu Alpha Theta (MAΘ) President at his high school.
Mihaela Tzvetkova | American College of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
Mihaela, an 11th-grade student in the International Baccalaureate program at the American College of Sofia, has a passion for natural sciences and informatics. She has undertaken various projects and research, authoring research papers on topics like epithelial markers in metastatic breast cancer and homologous zinc finger proteins. In the field of informatics, she has developed two assistive technologies: the Braille Reader and Writer App and Eye type. Mihaela is dedicated to volunteering and actively participates in diverse initiatives throughout Bulgaria. At her school, she serves as the president of a community service club, providing volunteer opportunities to fellow students and highlighting the benefits of such endeavors.
Minwoo Jeong | North London Collegiate School Jeju, Jejusi, South Korea
Minwoo Jeong is a rising junior at NLCS Jeju. She aspires to pursue a career in biochemistry and is passionate about helping others needing help, especially people with disabilities. Minwoo is currently involved in an internship program at an iPSC-specific company and a job shadowing experience at an Immunology Lab. She enjoys leading school service groups, organizing various fundraisers to spread awareness of global events worldwide to local towns in Jeju. Outside of school, she enjoys soccer and volleyball as part of the varsity team. Minwoo hopes to positively impact the global community with her service toward achieving health equity for all!
Misaki Nguyen | Silver Creek High School, San Jose, California, USA
Misaki Nguyen is a rising senior from the Bay Area and is aiming to eventually becoming a psychiatrist. Interested in the intersections between the sciences (especially neurobiology), business, and advocacy, Misaki loves innovating solutions and talking about social issues that she cares about. She is part of the Santa Clara County SWAG Advisory Group and dedicates her time to improving the mental health of her community. As for her hobbies, Misaki is on her school’s golf team, plays the alto sax, and loves the performing arts such as singing and dancing.
Neal Fernandes | Lambert High School, Suwanee, Georgia, USA
Neal Fernandes is a rising Junior at Lambert High School in Suwanee, GA. He plans to pursue a career in neuroscience using the skills he has gained throughout high school. Outside of school, Neal is a medical intern, committed community volunteer, co-founder of a local non-profit, and Georgia HOSA State Officer. In his free time, you can find Neal watching football or basketball, listening to music, and trying new sushi rolls. In the future, he hopes to major in neurology and enhance healthcare for people across the globe.
Nithya Nomula | Acton Boxborough Regional High School, Acton, Massachusetts, USA
Nithya Nomula is a rising senior from Acton, MA. She is interested in becoming a pediatrician. She is involved in HOSA, DESA, and WLHS, and she is the captain of the girls varsity tennis team. She loves being involved in her community and earned the Gold Presidential Service Award. Nithya is an active board member of ABSAF, an organization that works to give back to the school district. She is also an ambassador, offering guidance to students with transitioning into high school. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching movies, and playing tennis.
Nitil Raj | Biotechnology High School, Freehold, New Jersey, USA
Nitil Raj a rising senior at Biotechnology High School hoping to pursue a career in medicine, partakes in thorough community service as Marlboro EMS's Cadet Captain and at various local hospitals. He has been invited to multiple conferences regarding public health and he enjoys spending his free time exploring the fields of research like oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Nitil enjoys all outlets of public speaking through his position as a high-ranked officer in the YMCA Model United Nations. Nitil has personal ties to the pillar of mental health during his time on the Climate, Culture, Equity & Wellness PLC at Biotechnology High School working hand in hand with the administration to combat mental health issues and stress from school-related stressors.
Parinita Varshney | Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Parinita is a rising senior and International Baccalaureate diploma candidate from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She is interested in pursuing a career in pediatric medicine and hopes to provide equitable care to children that reside in marginalized communities. She also actively participates in her school's Girl-UP chapter as co-president and is president of her school's pre-med club. She serves on a teen board for the Children's Health Foundation and is an advisor for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation's Teen Leaders program. Parinita is creating a website with her friend called The Butterfly Effect, which aims to encourage communities to educate and care for their heart health. She enjoys reading, and has been an Indian Classical dancer for nine years!
Phoebe Kim | Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, Demarest, New Jersey, USA
Phoebe Kim is a rising senior from Bergen County, New Jersey. Through serving as the vice president of Model UN and judge captain of the varsity debate team, interning at Korean American Civic Empowerment, and being recognized by the New Jersey Legislature for her grassroots activism, she blossomed her passion for pursuing public policy to confront pertinent social issues. She is especially passionate about making education accessible and stimulating. To represent Asian American experiences and increase diversity in childrens’ literature, she self-published a children's book titled Kimbap. She also coaches the national MATHCOUNTS and Science Olympiad competitions for middle schoolers, teaches subjects such as English, Chemistry, Korean, and Mathematics, and hopes to continue advocating for educational equity.
Pia Visaria | West Windsor Plainsboro High School North, Plainsboro, New Jersey, USA
Pia Visaria is a rising high school senior from Princeton NJ. Her interest in sustainability stems from her visits to Kutch, India as a child and her passion for social justice. She currently serves on the policy committee under the Youth Advisory Council for the UN Ocean Decade and is a s EarthEcho Water Challenge Ambassador. This past summer she also interned with Senator Andrew Zwicker to lobby for strong environmental policy in the state of New Jersey. In her free time, Pia can be found travelling or spending time with friends and family!
Pragalya Arumugam | Dublin Jerome High School, Dublin, Ohio, USA
Pragalya Arumugam is a junior from Dublin, OH, interested in pursuing ENT surgery. She is the President and Founder of HearTogether, an initiative aimed to build confidence and self-advocacy for children with hearing loss, as she is a cochlear implant recipient. She is the President of her school's ASL Club, increasing awareness around Hearing loss and promoting inclusivity. She is the Secretary of her School's HOSA chapter, PR of the Key Club, Captain of Writing Team, and a News Anchor for her school announcements. She volunteers at AdaptiveSportsConnection, a meaningful experience as she connects with war veterans and people with disabilities and encourages them to have an active life style, accessible kayaking, biking, etc. In her free time, you can find her drawing, writing, playing music, and spending time with her loved ones.
Pranavi Oduru | Northwood High School, Irvine, CA, USA
Pranavi is a rising senior at Northwood High School, California, who aspires to become a cardiologist. Pranavi has research experience with UCI on Sleep Apnea and Atrial Fibrillation, and has also presented at UCI's Symposium. During the summer of 2023, she served as an intern at the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and was among 11 students selected to present her innovation, an alternative to CPAP machines for Sleep Apnea, at CHOC's Grandrounds. She is currently Blood Donor Ambassador at the American Red Cross, as well as Fixed Site Lead for the South OC donor-center region. As student candidate of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, she has worked to raise over $45,000 for cancer research with her team, and has won LLS's volunteerism award for exhibiting strong commitment to community service. Pranavi strives to continue helping others as she pursues medicine.
Prerna Chakkingal | South Fayette High School, McDonald, PA, USA
Prerna Chakkingal is a Junior at South Fayette High School. Her two passions are health care and social advocacy. To explore her interest in health care, she is volunteering at her local hospital by helping nurses and patients. As a researcher at a Gastrology unit in the University of Pittsburgh, she assists in different pre-clinical trials, and conducted a Live Presentationr tissue sampling on her own. Apart from her interest in the medicinal world, she has also dedicated a good portion of her high school career into completing different Tedx Talks. Her dedication to these passions led to her selection in the Disney Dreamers Academy, in which she was selected apart from thousands of applications as 1 of the 100 students to attend the sponsored career building workshop at Disney. In the future, Prerna hopes to continue speaking about issues that matter to her, while pursuing a medical degree.
Rebecca Lee | Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana, USA
Rebecca is a senior at Carmel High School in Indiana, and she has a deep passion for the field of healthcare. She loves being able to explore new topics within medicine and seek innovative methods to answer complex research questions or encourage new avenues for research. Rebecca founded RePLASTICS, where she was able to create a public website where anyone can learn more about plastics recycling and health implications. She is also the founder and president of her own Red Cross club at her school. In addition, Rebecca loves volunteering at her city’s hospital! In the future, Rebecca aspires to become a doctor where she can bring more awareness to public health and various medical conditions.
Richita Tera | Olentangy Liberty High School, Powell, Ohio, USA
Richita Tera is a rising senior from Powell, OH interested in using artificial intelligence to eliminate the gender disparity regarding cardiovascular disease research, diagnosis, and treatment methods. She is the founder and director of the nonprofit organization CardioAssist, working to provide underprivileged populations in her local community with easy-to-use heart support kits to combat the increasing global prevalence of heart and lung-related diseases, along with fundraising for increased research in this field. She is also a cardiology research intern at Mount Carmel Research Institute and its Women’s Heart Program. Some other extracurriculars Richita is frequently involved in are being the Blood Donor Ambassador of American Red Cross, along with a campaign leader for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Rishika Kulkarni | Francis Parker School, San Diego, California, USA
Rishika Kulkarni is a rising senior at Francis Parker School in San Diego, California. She loves the field of medicine and hope to pursue it in some shape or form in my future. She is especially passionate about the intersection between chemistry and medicine through the exploration of nanotechnology with her past experiences working with nanoparticles at UCSD. Through this conference, she hopes to intertwine this with global health. In her free time, she likes writing, swimming, and spending time in her school’s theatre!
Rithika Karthikeyan | International Academy East, Troy, Michigan, USA
Rithika is a rising senior and International Baccalaureate student at the International Academy East in Michigan. In school, Rithika enjoys competing in Science Olympiad and HOSA, which ignited her passion for medicine and healthcare. Her love for public speaking and advocacy have led her to be an avid competitor for her school’s Model UN and Forensics teams. Beyond academics, Rithika is deeply committed to her community, finding joy in volunteering and earning multiple President's Volunteer Service Awards for her exceptional leadership. In the future, Rithika plans on pursuing a career in medicine and to advance equity and quality healthcare for all. Guided by academic achievements and a deeply compassionate character, Rithika aims to create long-lasting, meaningful change in her community.
Riya Patel | Moreau Catholic High School, Hayward, California, USA
Riya is a rising senior at Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, California and is interested in medicine, public health, and biology. She gained passion for these fields through her biochemistry and psychology research that has been published in the Journal of Student Research. She is also an avid member of her community, volunteering over 400 hours through tutoring, baking, knitting, and cooking. As the president of her school’s Biology Club and co-founder of her school’s Science Club, she invites students to participate in the various events and fundraisers she hosts. In the future, Riya aspires to pursue a career in the medical field as a pediatrician.
Rose Zhu | River Bluff High School, Lexington, South Carolina, USA
Rose Zhu is a rising sophomore at River Bluff High School in Lexington, South Carolina. She is very interested in mental health, cardiology, and cancer research, and hopes to someday major in biochemistry. Rose is involved in several different organizations at her school, including DECA, HOSA Leadership, student council leadership, varsity tennis, and more. Every week, she chooses to spend her time volunteering at the Lexington Medical Center and with Mental Health America. For fun, you can find Rose purchasing a new Squishmallow or on a late-night drive forcing her sister to be her chauffeur.
Vivian Mao | St. Clement's School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Vivian Mao is a rising Junior at St. Clement’s School in Toronto, Canada interested in the intersectionality between neuroscience, artificial intelligence and public policy. She has recently created a machine learning model to more accurately and accessibly diagnose Alzheimer’s disease using Convolutional Neural Networks. Vivian is also the Chapter Founder of Jack.org at her school, which is a non-profit organization focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention. Additionally, she is an active member of the community and volunteers weekly at the Emergency Department at Michael Garron Hospital. Vivian is also the Co-Chair of the Toronto Youth STEM and Innovation Conference, which is one of Canada's largest youth-run STEM conferences where we introduced hundreds of high school students to current developments in STEM, featuring expert scientific researchers, entrepreneurs and speakers. In her free time, Vivian enjoys playing badminton and reading. In the future, Vivian plans to pursue a career in the field of health and technology.
Sairam Pantham | Solon High School, Solon, Ohio, USA
Sairam is a rising senior from Solon, OH interested in pursuing a career in medicine and medical research. He is the captain of his school’s Science Olympiad team, and he’s the 2022 National Champion and 2023 State Champion in Experimental Design. He is also an avid speaker, finishing in the top 15 in International Extemporaneous Speaking at the 2023 National Speech and Debate Tournament. He presented a project on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) usage in rural and urban counties, but he’s also independently investigated the K65R mutation present in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, earning him the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award. He also works as an intern at Case Western Reserve University, looking forward to continuing work on transcriptomic gene expression analysis.
Sheil Dharan | Denmark High School, Alpharetta, Georgia, USA
Sheil is a rising senior at Denmark High School in Alpharetta, Georgia. He is interested in computational biology, earth and planetary sciences, and the application of machine learning to these fields. Sheil has conducted research in several global health fields, winning several top prizes at the state science fair, presenting at numerous national conferences, and working with Georgia Tech professors and NASA. Other than research, Sheil is the president of his school's 400+ member Future Business Leaders of America chapter, is a community advocate for several issues in his county, and leads the TEDx club at his school. He intends to pursue a career in research and spends his free time volunteering, learning new skills, and watching and playing sports.
Shinyoung Jeon | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Shinyoung is a rising senior who is passionate about mental health and the potential of AI to promote patient outcomes in this critical field. She is excited to explore novel biomarkers for psychological health and hopefully make a positive impact on a global scale. At school, Shinyoung leads the Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology club to promote female engagement in STEM and organize an annual STEM activity fair for youths of all ages and backgrounds. She also participates in the national biology olympiad each year and teaches underclassmen advanced biology at weekly meetings to prepare for the contest. Lastly, Shinyoung thoroughly enjoys and loves all of Star Wars, Pokemon, and DIY crafts!
Shoni Jain | Westview High School, Portland, Oregon, USA
Shoni Jain is a rising Junior at Westview High School in Portland, Oregon. She loves to immerse herself in the healthcare space, especially in public and global health. Shoni came up with her research topic through her time meeting with primary care physicians for her HOSA event. She had lengthy conversations with various professionals in the field of primary care and realized the discrepancies between the demand for care and the number of primary care physicians. With her presentation, she hopes to express the crucial need for primary care physicians and to represent the detriment we will face if we don't focus on solving this dire issue. Now, Shoni has co-founded her national non-profit: Dental Aid & Relief Foundation where she works to aid public health by filling the gap in dental aid in marginalized populations. Outside of healthcare, she loves dancing and singing which she does competitively!
Siddharth N. Mummaneni | Lake Orion High School, Lake Orion, Michigan, USA
Siddharth is a rising junior at Lake Orion High School in Lake Orion, Michigan and he hope to become a neurosurgeon. Siddharth enjoys exploring the field of neuroscience and understanding the complexity of the brain. He pursued his interests in multiple avenues including pursing research on Multiple Sclerosis treatments. Siddharth is an avid member of his communities and is always working to make the world a better place. He has started multiple clubs including his high school’s first ever HOSA chapter, he is the treasurer of Cultural Outreach, and executive board member of Sources of Strength. Outside of school Siddharth enjoys volunteering at a local food pantry, playing water polo, traveling, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.
Sophia Chaturvedi | Barrington High School, Barrington, Illinois, USA
Sophia Chaturvedi is a rising junior from Barrington, Illinois, who is passionate about global health. She is the co-founder of Citizens for Humanity which is a non-profit she and her brother founded in 2022. Her mission is to promote health equity through service and education by addressing social determinants of health for marginalized individuals and communities. Her passions include biology, global health, and math. She is passionate about medicine. To further this, she is an active member of HOSA and FHP. In the future, Sophia aspires to pursue a career in infectious disease medicine with a Global Health Specialization.
Dylan Chaturvedi | Barrington High School, Barrington, Illinois, USA
Dylan Chaturvedi is a rising junior from Barrington, Illinois. He is interested in promoting health equity through service and education by addressing social determinants of health for marginalized individuals and communities. He is the co-founder of Citizens for Humanity which is a non-profit he and his sister founded. His most recent project was the clean water project in Tanzania where he promoted healthy hygiene through handwashing programs. He also distributed water filters for those without a clean water supply. His passions include mathematics, biology, chemistry, and history. He is passionate about medicine and is an active member of FHP and HOSA.
Sophia Huang | Mounds View High School, Arden Hills, Minnesota, USA
Sophia Huang is an incoming first-year at Brown University. She is interested in applied mathematics, public health, and international relations. In high school, she was involved in neuroscience and computational biology research. She also interned at the Sierra Project Foundation, an international non-profit organization, where she created informative youth health comics. This past spring, she wrote an independent research paper examining cancer clusters in China through the Stanford China Scholars Program. Outside of school, Sophia played viola in the Minnesota All-State Orchestra for several years, co-directed a music benefit concert, and won the Congressional Art Competition in her district.
Sreenidhi Maddineedi | James Logan High School, Union City, California, USA
Sreenidhi, a rising sophomore at James Logan High School in Union City, California, has a strong aspiration to pursue a career in medicine. She is fueled by her unwavering dedication to research and innovation, aiming to develop groundbreaking treatments and make meaningful contributions to the ever-evolving field of medicine. Recently, she collaborated with faculty at Harvard University on a research paper focused on mTOR, which she has submitted for publication. In addition to her academic pursuits, Sreenidhi actively volunteers at a local hospital and works towards raising awareness of public health issues through the Audacity Library Public Health Forum. Sreenidhi also engages in various clubs and nurtures her passion for reading books and capturing moments through photography.
Sreepadaarchana Munjuluri | Columbus North High School, Columbus, IN, USA
Sreepada is a rising senior from Columbus, IN, interested in exploring the nexus of medicine, policy, and advocacy. She has been involved in cellular research at the IU School of Medicine, focusing on the role of TRPC channels. She served as the State Treasurer for Indiana HOSA, and now is the founder and president of the local Student Organ Donation Advocates club at her school as well as GuruTalks (a career exploration initiative). She is an ambassador for her city’s youth council. She volunteers as an assistant tutor for adult English classes, at the local hospital, and for the Red Cross. In her free time, Sreepada loves exploring art through violin, dancing, and spoken-word poetry!
SriBhavya Koneti | Reedy HighSchool, Frisco, Texas, USA
Bhavya is a junior at Reedy High School in Texas. She has a strong passion for medicine, music, and community service. She has been a practitioner of Indian Classical Carnatic music for the past 9 years and is the founder of Music in Medicine (MIM). This organization focuses on exploring the intersectionality between music and medicine, with a particular emphasis on the power of music therapy to address medical conditions that lack clinical treatments. Bhavya also volunteers at the Baylor Scott Hospital and coaches science for a nonprofit called NorthSouth Foundation, where she prepares Elementary and Middle Schoolers for Science contests. At school, she is actively involved in HOSA and BPA, where she has qualified for state and national awards. As part of the Global Health Equity and Women's Health Club, she spearheads projects that strive to create a healthier and more equitable world. In her free time, she loves to paint, solve puzzles, travel, explore new cultures, and meet new people.
Sungji Lim | The Purcell School, Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Sungji (Lindsey) Lim is a rising senior at The Purcell School for Young Musicians. Lindsey won first prize in the international music competition Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition and in the AMIS Solo and Ensemble Festival. Furthermore, Lindsey is interested in biology and psychology and aspires to pursue her future career in the music therapy and treatment field. She is the founder of the organization Instruments without Border, the initiator of a social welfare music program in Bucheon, South Korea called "Our Music Class," and an avid member of another music outreach group called "IMPULSE."She was selected as a finalist in the 2022 Conrad Challenge’s health and nutrition category with her ongoing personal project DATUM (Diagnosis And Treatment Utilizing Music).
Tanvi Madugonde | BASIS Scottsdale High School, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Tanvi Madugonde is a rising junior at BASIS Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is a captain of her school’s speech and debate team and is a speech state champion. She is also co-president of her school’s Red Cross, where she actively works with liaisons and board members to organize blood drives and establish new branches throughout Arizona to help local communities. She’s a 2022 miRcore High School Research Conference Award Winner, and has been a member of GIDAS (Genes in Diseases and Symptoms) for three years, and she has published two abstracts. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, volunteering under a nonprofit, and spending time with her friends. She hopes to pursue a career in healthcare in college.
Tara Kamalakantha | Plano West Senior High School, Plano, Texas, USA
Tara Kamalakantha is a rising senior at Plano West Senior High School and is passionate about the intersection of public health and political science. Since the Summer of her sophomore year, she has been a Research Assistant for an NIH-funded Get Active research study at Southern Methodist University. She researched audio-delivered physical activity interventions and their implications on public health under the guidance of Dr. Austin Baldwin. Tara is a Fellow at Grassroots Democrats HQ, where she successfully campaigned for Democratic candidates such as Janet Protaseiwicz for the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Raphael Warnock for the Georgia Senate run-offs. This summer, Tara organized and sang at a Charity Concert, raising over $3,000 to support the Cheelanahalli Government Primary School in India. She enjoys organizing for the Sunrise Movement and pursuing Indian and Western Classical music.
Thejal Anand | Centennial High School, Frisco, Texas, USA
Thejal is a rising senior from Dallas, Tx. Hook 'em!! She is extremely passionate about Global Health and recently completed an Independent Study and Mentorship over it. She is also a published researcher and mentors middle schoolers for science fairs. HOSA is a very important part of her life as she is VP for her school's HOSA club and recently placed top 5 at the International Leadership Conference for Medical Innovation. Currently, she is working to publish an article on Cerebral Malaria in the JHU Global Health NOW newsletter under the mentorship of Editor-in-Chief, Brian Simpson, MPH. Outside of school, you can catch her competing in Compound Archery at the North Texas JOAD Club or trying new cuisines and restaurants.
Tiffani Gay | Orlando Science High School, Orlando, Florida, USA
Tiffani Gay is a 16-year-old student dedicated to driving global change with technology. She has pursued research for over five years and has presented her work internationally at a variety of events. She received grand awards at ISEF; the Taiwan International Science Fair; the Tunisian International Festival of Engineering Science and Technology and the International Symposium on Systems Engineering. She is passionate about improving access to science education in marginalized communities and is the Director of Communications for 501(c)(3) non-profit, CAFYIR, whose mission is to provide career aid for young immigrants and refugees. She has played violin recreationally for five years, volunteers at a local hospital and hopes to pursue biomedical engineering.
Vatsal Sivaratri | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Vatsal Sivaratri is a rising junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. He aspires to use Machine Learning in the fields of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. He has worked on several research projects in his fields of interest, and has presented his work in multiple conferences. He is currently doing two internships at George Washington University and Dartmouth College. He shares his love for ML with others as a teaching coordinator for his school club. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess and the piano. Vatsal hopes that one day, his work in ML makes a meaningful impact in many people's lives.
Victoria Le | Saratoga High School, Saratoga, California, USA
Victoria Le is currently a senior at Saratoga High School in Saratoga, California, interested in global health and the biosciences. She has developed a passion for these fields while attending the Johns Hopkins Global Health Conference in 2020, conducting cancer research and learning basic tissue culture techniques at Stanford University, and spreading awareness about Hepatitis B in Vietnam. Additionally, she is deeply involved with her community and school, helping run an online tutoring program for underprivileged students in Half Moon Bay and being apart of the Principal’s Student Advisory Panel. Aside from academics, Victoria enjoys playing waterpolo for her school’s varsity team, playing the bass for her school’s orchestra, and running her dog’s Tiktok account- oscarfloofybear.
Vihaan Gehlaut | International Academy East, Troy, Michigan, USA
Vihaan is a rising sophomore attending the International Academy East in Michigan. He enjoys playing tennis, practicing piano, and leading events for his school’s Student Council. He is the Secretary of the Teen Advisory Board at the library, as well as the Vice President of the Chess Club at his school. He also serves as a board member of Math Honors Society, and is a winner of the Gold Presidential Service Award. In the future, Vihaan aims to pursue his interest in various aspects of medicine and seeks to become a physician.
Anna Lee | Seoul International School, Seongnam, South Korea
Anna is a rising senior at Seoul International School and hopes to pursue a career in the biomedical sciences or dentistry. Anna has consistently been a member and a leader of the school’s medical society club, participating and assisting with numerous dissections and research on health-related topics. Anna is also the leader of the Helping North Korean Refugees club in school, as she is an ardent advocate in human rights and providing equitable service to underrepresented communities. With this interest, Anna has experience researching oral health disparities and potential solutions in mitigating them, especially in the low-income populations of the United States. In her free time, Anna enjoys baking, making handicrafts, and watching sci-fi movies.
Warren Hsiao | Sacred Heart Preparatory, Atherton, California, USA
Warren is a rising senior interested in history and public health, and has participated in Stanford’s Asian Live’s Donor Youth Leadership Program, John Hopkins University’s Global Health Leaders Conference, and Brown University’s Healthcare communication course. His organization, Career Origami, aims to help AAPI youth find their career passions by creating a platform for previous AAPI generations to share their narratives about their passions. Warren loves to serve his local community through volunteering as a tennis coach at East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring, STEM tutor at Siena Youth Center and blood center donation assistant at Stanford Blood Center. Warren enjoys water related activities, from free diving and kayaking to simply going to the beach.
Yujin Lee | North London Collegiate School Jeju, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
Yujin is a rising senior at North London Collegiate School Jeju, South Korea. She is a STEM enthusiast with a special interest in the field of biomedical sciences, dentistry, and biotechnology. She has actively participated in various activities, including school Medicine, Chemistry, and Dentistry clubs, dental work experience, first aid training, BioYouth Camp held by Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology, and lecture series in relation to genetics, immunology, stem cell, and more throughout and beyond her school life. In terms of research, Yujin has recently completed a review paper project on the treatment of autoimmune diseases through the use of stem cell and CRISPR technology, and is planning to expand her scope of knowledge by interviewing stem cell researchers in her country.
Nina Seoyoung Lee | Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Hoengseong, Gangwon, South Korea
Nina is a rising senior at Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, who is hoping to pursue a career as a space biologist at NASA. She is passionate about researching treatments for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. She has done extensive research to promote global health. One of her most recent research includes conducting T7E1 assay to optimize conditions for high-efficiency Virus-Like Particle (VLP) mediated CRISPR-Cas9 in cancer therapy. Other extracurriculars Nina participates in include coaching the national mock trial team, varsity cheering, drumming at the school band, and stargazing with a 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Outside of school, Nina keeps her profession as a figure skater and a waterski instructor.
Minyoung Song | Chadwick International School, Incheon, South Korea
Minyoung is a rising junior at Chadwick International School in Incheon, South Korea. She is interested in biology, chemistry, biomedicine, dentistry, and global health. Minyoung currently serves as the leader of the Chadwick International Science Society, in which she hosted a STEM day for the village school students. Additionally, she is the president and founder of the Community Medical Service Organization, where she facilitated medical mentorship events for high schoolers, partook in medical volunteers and arranged medical internships for her club members. In her free time, she enjoys playing sports and making handicrafts. She hopes to study in the biomedical field.