2021 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 2021 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 as of August 2021
Catrina Yang | Wycombe Abbey School, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Catrina is a rising senior at Wycombe Abbey School with aspirations of practising Medicine in the National Health Service (NHS). In May 2020, Catrina involved her school in a letter-writing scheme to NHS key workers through The Crisis Project. She is also Head Student and Co-Chair of the Medical Society at her school. Alongside her leadership commitments, she enjoys dancing, debating and volunteering at her local care home, as well as playing the piano and the violin (having received a dipABRSM qualification in both instruments in 2017). Catrina has a particular interest in Neuroscience, having attended Summer courses at Brown University and Stanford University, and is currently pursuing an independent research project about Alzheimer’s Disease.
Ron Nachum | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Vienna, Virginia, USA
Ron Nachum is a rising senior from Vienna, Virginia with experience researching at the intersection of computer science and medicine. He has presented works at global medical and engineering conferences, as well as the International Science and Engineering Fair. Beyond his research, Ron heads the nonprofit organization Project Caelus, working to launch a liquid-fueled rocket to space and offering free education opportunities to hundreds of students in his community. In his free time, Ron loves to play soccer and guitar, and you can often find him hanging out with friends or playing video games. In the future, he hopes to spin his innovations into entrepreneurship in the startup world, using computer science to improve lives of others across the globe.
Patricia Nova | University of Toronto Schools, Toronto, Canada
Patricia is a rising senior in Toronto, Canada who is looking to pursue a degree in biology and public health. Independent from an academic setting, she dedicates her time to filmmaking, Model UN, and theatre. Her passion for global health arose when she began an internship with the Canadian charity Hemoglobal, which works towards providing often inaccessible treatment to children with genetic blood conditions. In the future, she hopes to be able to work towards LGBTQ+ equality in the medical field by way of equal access, changes in bigoted legislature, and widespread destigmatization of the community.
Sophia Hassen | James W. Robinson High School, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Sophia is a rising junior from Virginia hoping to pursue degrees in global health and neuroscience. In her free time, Sophia loves to travel and spend time with friends and family. Some of her extracurricular activities include the HOBY State Leadership Seminar, Robinson High School soccer team, COO of The Shine Project, volunteering in local hospitals and nursing homes, and other school clubs in the medical field. In the future, she hopes to help bring a cure to Muscular Dystrophy diseases and contribute to the global health community.
Guido Domenico De Santis | Scientific High School P.S. Mancini, Avellino, Italy
Guido Domenico De Santis is a rising senior at scientific high school P.S. Mancini in Avellino, Italy. He is an aspiring physicist/engineer and a world citizen. Outside of school, Guido devotes his time to STEM research and tutoring underprivileged students. He is a volunteer in the small village in which he lives for assisting lonely elderly people in daily activities and spending time with them. He also enjoys reading classics, playing chess, swimming and visiting museums and art cities. In the future, Guido hopes to innovate state-of-the-art in science for contributing to global health equity. Guido's idol is the great polymath Leonardo Da Vinci who said: “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things."
Dhruv Pai | Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Dhruv Pai is a junior in the STEM magnet program at Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, MD. Dhruv's extracurricular activities include volunteering for social good. He has been involved in bringing art and STEM activities to senior citizens and vulnerable populations. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he started a volunteer organization to provide free, contactless delivery of grocery and prescription drugs to seniors and vulnerable populations. This organization is now international, with chapters in 17 US states and one Canadian province. Dhruv also enjoys public speaking and chorale singing. Dhruv's long-term vision is to use biomedical research for helping vulnerable populations within the community, by enabling early diagnosis and development of approaches for treating life-threatening diseases.
Samara Rezwan | Wausau East High School, Wausau, Wisconsin, USA
Samara is a rising junior at Wausau East High School in Wisconsin. She is Vice President of her class and the President of three organization chapters at her high school: Distressed Children and Infants International (DCI), Vision Impairment Screening and Intervention for Optical Needs (VISION), and Health Peer Advisors and Liaisons (HealthPALs) of Wausau East High School. She is also a member of her school’s varsity tennis team. She is also the Youth Director of Engagement and leads a program which educates and empowers underprivileged women and children at a women and children’s clinic called BERNOSSUS in Bangladesh. Samara is passionate about global health and plans to become a physician.
Grace Kim | Seoul Foreign School, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Grace is a rising senior passionate about women's rights in the fields of healthcare. Her nonprofit organization called the Mini Moon Project aims to eliminate the menstruation taboo amongst impoverished teenage girls by providing sustainable menstrual kits. Her organization donated more than 200 menstrual cups in areas such as Laos, Kenya, and South Korea, and supported 5 high school girls with a yearly scholarship. Additionally, she hosts public events alongside professionals in fields of healthcare to raise awareness of this issue. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine and work at a healthcare organization to tackle the issue of period poverty.
Siya Goel | West Lafayette Jr. Sr. High School, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Siya Goel is a high school junior from Indiana and is passionate about biology and computer science research. Some of Siya's achievements include being a 2021 Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, 3x ISEF Finalist, 1x NSJHS finalist, 2x NCWIT National Honorable Mention Winner, and an INSPO Science Fair Winner. Siya loves to conduct laboratory and computational projects pertaining to Alzheimer's and pancreatic cancer at multiple labs in Purdue University and University of Michigan. Along with this, Siya founded and is executive director of Buzz Online, an organization that provides students with interdisciplinary STEAM education, and a virtual art therapy studio which aims to reduce the loneliness and depression faced by Alzheimer's and dementia patients during the pandemic.
Medha Lolayekar | Lynbrook High School, San Jose, California, USA
Medha’s passions include Health sciences and Activism. In 2020, she found novel inhibitors in genomics cancer research working side by side with a Postdoctoral Associate at Cornell University. From Fall 2020 to early Spring of 2021, she ran a fundraising campaign for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, raising over 14,000 dollars in support of LLS long standing mission. At the moment, she is working with a few psychiatrists on a Mental Health project promoting breathing techniques to alleviate stress and anxiety. Most recently, she has become a fellow in a congressional campaign, with the key objective to promote policies that optimize healthcare spending, improve preventive care and wellness options, and bring more investment in healthcare analytics improving the Electronic Medical Record System.
Aarushi Bute | Marquette High School, Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
Aarushi is a rising junior at Marquette High School and has always been captivated by global health, particularly at the intersection of gender and race. Aarushi has spent over 32 hours researching the need for intersectional feminism where she presented to a panel of judges, wrote research papers, and conducted interviews with gender studies experts. Besides research, she is the Associate Editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, Marquette Messenger, and Editor-in-chief of RSD Lives which is a journal comprised of student’s stories to give them a voice. She is also doing extensive volunteer work within gender-based nonprofits and overall hopes to combat the negative effects of gender and race discrimination in global health.
Aditi Bang | South Forsyth High School, Cumming, Georgia, USA
Aditi Bang is a rising senior at South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia. She is the Girl Up President, GAHSD Treasurer, and GA Madhatter Knits Foundation President. Aditi is passionate about public health and is involved in Science Olympiad and HOSA to further her passion. In her free time, she loves to dance and spend time with her loved ones. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine as an OB/GYN and be involved in public health so she can help underprivileged communities receive better access to menstrual hygiene and reproductive health resources.
Aditya Billur | Downingtown STEM Academy, Downington, Pennsylvania, USA
Aditya is a senior at the Downingtown STEM Academy. His favorite subjects in school are biology, chemistry, and psychology. Two of his favorite hobbies are being part of his school's marching band as an alto saxophonist and playing cricket with youth and adult teams. Both activities have taught him many life lessons such as the importance of teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. He plans to attend University College Dublin’s School of Medicine to pursue a 5-year medicine program. He is passionate about topics such as health equity, food insecurity, and the social determinants of health. In the future, he hopes as a health professional he can take steps towards tackling systemic barriers to good health.
Aditya Kalahasti | Solon High School, Solon, Ohio, USA
Adi is a rising senior from Cleveland, Ohio who loves international politics and global health. He currently does science research on gene expression in brain cells at a local university, and just finished competing at the 2021 ISEF Competition. He additionally works on political research and outreach for a Congressional race in Ohio. He is a passionate advocate for increasing resource availability to many communities, with health literacy and arts education, through his nonprofit focused on music education in the city of Cleveland. When not working, he enjoys competing in Speech and Debate, playing Indian Carnatic violin and mridangam and watching political comedy on YouTube.
Akruthi Puttaparthi | Downingtown STEM Academy, Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA
Akruthi is a rising freshman at the University of Pittsburgh who is planning on majoring in both Psychology and Neuroscience. She has a strong interest in the healthcare field and specifically hopes to make a positive professional difference through addressing and advocating for mental health care. She has had the privilege of being able to be a HOSA officer during high school where she was able to organize numerous guest speakers and volunteering opportunities. She hopes to be able to continue to spread her passion for the healthcare field in the future through other such initiatives. In her free time she loves to dance, draw, volunteer and spend time with friends and family.
Aleena Dawer | Langley High School, Washington DC, USA
Aleena is an incoming freshman at Georgetown University planning to major in Global Health on the premed track. She accelerated her high school education through concurrent enrollment at Northern Virginia community college, where she currently is the Vice President of two honor societies. Aleena is also the co-founder and director of her nonprofit, Ethica Global Alliance, which aids underserved students with both education and healthcare, while instilling socially-conscious leadership. Aleena’s passions are in refugee and displaced emergency medicine. She will be practicing as an EMT in the coming Fall, and hopes to continue pursuing medicine by becoming a physician and health policy advocate for disadvantaged communities through organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and Red Crescent.
Alice Zou | Bayview Secondary School, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
Alice is a senior hoping to pursue a degree in health science. She is passionate about menstrual equity and an avid debater. She is the president of PERIOD Ontario, a chapter of an organization fighting to end period poverty and stigma. Outside of school she enjoys kickboxing and manages a bubble tea addiction. In the future, Alice hopes to conduct research into menstruation and become a family physician.
Aliza Lopez | North Brunswick Township High School, North Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
Aliza is a rising junior from New Jersey, pursuing the pathway of her high school’s STEM Academy. As a proponent of medicine and educational equity, she currently co-directs the award-winning organization, Medicine Encompassed, recognized by the nation’s top executives at innovation competitions. With her interdisciplinary research interests in biopsychology, global health, and neuroscience, Aliza aspires to become a neurosurgeon, or work in the intersection of health, technology, and entrepreneurship. After extensive participation in similar organizations and start-ups, she hopes to break the glass ceiling for student involvement and spearheading impact in these fields. In addition to medicine and healthcare, her other interests lie in mental health advocacy, community projects, business, marketing, and instrumental music.
Andreanna Ulery | Saline High School, Saline, Michigan, USA
Andreanna Ulery is a current Sophomore at Saline High School in Michigan. She aspires to become either a doctor or a researcher in the field of Psychology. It is her goal and passion to solve current issues relating to the mental health crisis in America. A particular interest of hers is delving into the correlation between genetics and mental illness. She is currently involved in activities such as GIDAS/miRcore, Debate, Soccer, and NHD.
Angela Hung | University Preparatory Academy, San Jose, California, USA
Angela Hung is a rising senior at University Preparatory Academy in San Jose, California. Her hobbies include swimming, baking, travelling, and playing the piano. At school, she is actively involved in the Red Cross Club, Team HBV, Web & Link, and the student tutoring program as well as being a member of both CSF and NHS. Outside of school, she has started a project called Therapy 4 Seniors dedicated to improving elderly mental health through audio therapy in the form of virtual piano performances. She is passionate about biology and hopes to pursue a career in the medical field in the future.
Angela Xiong | Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, California, USA
Angela is a rising Junior at Mission San Jose High School in California. She is the President of her school's LIVERight Chapter, plays in her school's Girls Golf Team, and compete in Mock Trial. She is also a Staff Writer for her school's newspaper: The Smoke Signal as well as her school's Feminist Magazine: Exit Zine. Angela plans to study Biology and Psychology in college with the intent of attending medical school. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing poetry and stories, fostering dogs, and studying ASL.
Anita Osuri | Biotechnology High School, Freehold, New Jersey, USA
Anita is a rising senior passionate about global health in underserved communities. She is active in her school’s Students of Service Club and Academic Team. Outside of school, she enjoys initiating and supporting teen nonprofits that serve the local community, running, and drawing. Anita hopes to connect her various interests of policy, volunteering, and art in her future career in global health.
Aparna Sivaraman | Rock Bridge High School, Columbia, Missouri, USA
Aparna is a rising senior at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri. At school, she is an active leader in many clubs, including Science Olympiad, Science Bowl, HOSA- Future Health Professionals, and varsity tennis. She enjoys learning about STEM-related topics in school, especially chemistry, math, and emergency medicine. Outside of school, she spends her time tutoring, reading, listening to music, and spending time with friends. In the future, Aparna would like to pursue a career in pediatrics with a potential specialization in psychiatry or sports medicine based on her interests in mental health, sports medicine, and working with kids.
Avi Patel | Stanton College Prep, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Avi is a rising senior at Stanton College Prep in Jacksonville, FL, who is passionate about global health and health policy. In school, Avi loves to learn about Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology. He is also an active member of the Science National Honor Society and Science Olympiad. Outside of school, Avi enjoys reading, volunteering, traveling, and researching at a local public health lab. In the future, Avi is interested in pursuing a career in medicine and global health.
Hyunje Brian Lee | Seoul International School, Seoul, South Korea
Brian is a rising senior at Seoul International School in Seoul, South Korea. He likes to eat, work out, and watch the NBA and NFL. After losing 52 lbs by exercising every day over a 6 month period in Michigan, he became interested in the study of health and how the environment affects health. Such experience of self-empowerment, along with 5 years of volunteering at a public clinic for underinsured immigrant workers in Korea, resulted in his passion for understanding the intricacies of global health, especially pertaining to different countries’ public health strategies. In the future, he hopes to continue to study Global Health and to learn and innovate ways to mitigate the intricacies.
Chetana Movva | Middleton High School, Tampa, Florida, USA
Chetana is a rising senior at Middleton Highschool in Tampa, FL. She is passionate about gender equality and has started a Women in Healthcare Club at her school and also founded a non-profit branch to empower young women going into medicine. She is also very passionate gun reform and societal change and has been an active member of Students Demand Action throughout highschool and is planning a summer camp for gun violence survivors and lobbies for gun-sense laws in Florida. Chetana is also very involved in Student Government, HOSA, SNHS, and Red Cross. Her dream job is to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. In her free time, she watches wholesome YouTube content, eats avocado toast, and reads books.
Christina (Ka Wing) Hui | Branksome Hall Asia, Seogwipo, Jeju, South Korea
Christina is a rising senior who is passionate about improving public health education. She has directed a community health fair and has also spoken as a guest speaker on TEDx talk with the topic of "zoonotic diseases". She is also a prefect in her school and has worked with many other amazing students to enhance the student's well-being. In her free time, she likes to play volleyball and bake. She is currently aspiring to enter the medical field as a physician.
Danielle Hyunjung Cho | Yongsan International School of Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
Danielle is a rising senior at Yongsan International School of Seoul. Her interests lie in biology, global health, and communication. She is involved in the STEM club where she organizes lessons and teaches science experiments to elementary school students during after-school sessions. Outside of school, she makes biology videos for younger grades. In the future, she hopes to contribute to global health by researching new treatments in bacterial infections, teaching new generations of scientists, and solving inequalities in access to medicine. Her hobbies include reading, writing, drawing, and creating educational videos.
Dhanyata Narendra | King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, Birmingham, England
Dhanyata Narendra is an aspiring medic from England. She was inspired by the National Health Service (NHS)'s efficient outreach and teamwork while volunteering for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Speaking to patients on a ward in The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has enhanced her understanding of the long-term impacts of chronic conditions: physical, social and emotional. Within the field of academia, Dhanyata is completing an Extended Project Qualification about the genetic influences of chronic pain perception to explore these issues further. She also writes for their school’s medical newsletter every week with a classmate and leads debates about current medical issues for a 1600-member book club. In her free time, Dhanyata loves doing and teaching karate, having achieved her black belt in February 2020; singing for her school's selective choir and playing the piano at Grade 8 level. In the future, she would like to undertake clinical research alongside the profession of a doctor to improve patient outcomes for chronic pain.
Emily Yu | Oakton High School, Vienna, Virginia, USA
Emily is a rising senior at Oakton High School in Vienna, Virginia. At school, she is actively involved in her Science Olympiad, Math Olympiad, and Robotics team. In her free time, she loves to play volleyball and watch Chinese dramas for fun. Outside of school, she loves to volunteer at local youth organizations to teach and coach students volleyball. In addition, she works as the executive class director at CODEFY, an organization that offers free CS courses. She is passionate about computer science and medicine, and she hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of these two fields.
Eva Beresin | The Weber School, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Eva is a rising Junior at The Weber School in Atlanta, Georgia. She enjoys volunteering for a variety of causes, including volunteering as a tutor and at a local food pantry. Eva is also passionate about gun violence prevention and frequently volunteers to lobby for gun safety legislation through national advocacy work and running a school club. Eva stays involved in the field of STEM by competing in a biomimicry design competition as a part of her school's STEM club and assisting with a pre-medical organization for high school students. Eventually, Eva hopes to pursue a career in pediatric oncology or surgery.
Evan Kim | Seoul International School, Seoul, South Korea
Evan is a rising senior, and he is passionate about the intersection of adolescent mental health and physical activity. Outside of school, he dedicates countless hours to increase awareness on adolescent mental health and research upon the effects of mental illnesses and healthy ways to mitigate such effects. He is also a member of the varsity basketball team, dedicating his time to not only have fun with others but also raise awareness on the benefits of sports. He has also submitted his research, “Associations between Physical Activity and Depression Through Obesity and School Bullying Among Adolescents”, to the International Journal of Depression and Anxiety with intentions to further pursue his passions in the realm of positive and cognitive psychology.
Hamza Lateef | Charles J. Colgan High School, Manassas, Virginia, USA
Hamza Arman Lateef is a rising junior at Charles J. Colgan High School in Manassas, VA. Arman’s keen awareness of the environment’s impact on human health inspired him to create the organization, Health Environments Advance Life (HEAL). This collaboration with like-minded young scientists and environmental activists aims to educate students on the specific human health impacts of pollutants, while also pioneering community and global projects that improve environmental health.
Hana Choi | James W. Robinson Jr. Secondary School, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Hana Choi is a class of 2023 student at James W. Robinson Jr Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia. She is the current Officer of the Robinson Medical club and member of Math and National Honors Societies. Hana is passionate about advocating for disabled rights, presenting her Middle Years Program Personal Project on the topic. Hana also spends time volunteering to teach children in various organizations (P2P, GIVE, VCA). She is also on both the Indoor and Outdoor Varsity Track Teams. Hana is an active volunteer with INOVA Hospital and acts as an intern-volunteer at an Internal Medicine/Geriatric Clinic. Hana has earned several Presidential Service Awards for her work. She hopes to continue her studies and become a neurologist, collaborating with her peers and striving to publish and perform work maintaining and improving global health.
Hari Parthasarathy | Lynbrook High School, San Jose, California, USA
Hari is a rising senior interested in the applications of robotics and business to biosciences. He has always been interested in the intersection of biology and engineering, and he is an active contributor to his high school robotics team. In his free time, he loves to read, binge watch tv shows, and spend time browsing the internet. Hari has, in the past, shadowed a Stanford emeritus dermatologist (where he learned about global-health), created biology courses that harness robotics to teach biological concepts (e.g., evolution / natural selection), and worked with NASA to apply systems thinking frameworks to various space biosciences divisions. Hari hopes to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering, with the option to enter a medical pathway in the future.
Harrish Ganesh | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Harrish Ganesh is a rising senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, VA. He’s a committed student researcher in the areas of virology, neuroscience, and CRISPR technology. He is the founder of The Future Brighter, a non-profit organization focused on early STEM education and STEM outreach. He serves as the STEM Ambassador for the US Army Educational Outreach Program (USAEOP) and also serves as the Co-President, Virginia Junior Academy of Science. Harrish loves to play basketball, participate in TED-style talks, and play guitar.
Ishita Srivastava | University High School, Irvine, California, USA
Ishita is an incoming freshman at UC Berkeley, majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis on Neurobiology. With great passion for women’s global health and educational equity, she has served as the President for She’s the First, raising scholarships for girls internationally to be the first in their communities to receive an education. She also dedicates her time to neurosurgical and anesthesia research, Cardiac Care Unit hospital volunteering, and STEM outreach in underserved communities. She also loves to dance and will be earning her Bachelor of Arts in Bharatnatyam this upcoming year. In the future, she aspires to become a physician and improve healthcare accessibility for impoverished populations.
Jaden Bhogal | University of Toronto Schools, Toronto, Canada
Jaden is a grade 12 student at the University of Toronto Schools, in Toronto, Canada. He hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of engineering and phage technology, using research and business to address large global health issues like antibiotic resistance. He is also fascinated by tissue engineering and nanotechnology, and has published articles about his learnings on Medium and PGHR. Alongside tutoring and volunteering at hospitals, he is an avid sprinter for his school's and club's Track & Field team, a drummer for his school's Stage Band, and has qualified for DECA at the national level. He is thrilled to continue to explore the possibilities of research as he continues his educational journey.
Janvi Srivastava | BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Janvi is currently a freshman at BASIS Scottsdale. Janvi participates in Science Bowl, her school’s economics club, and is a peer mentor. She is also an active volunteer in her community, and enjoys volunteering at the Miracle League of Arizona, St. Vincent de Paul, and at a local hospice. She hopes to enter the medical field, and is especially fascinated with neuroscience. In her free time, Janvi plays the violin, writes poetry, reads thrillers, and hikes in the beautiful Arizona outdoors.
Jasmine Ispasoiu | Saratoga High School, Bay Area, California, USA
Jasmine (any pronouns) is a rising junior from the Bay Area who hopes to pursue a doctorate degree in public health. Outside of school, Jasmine dedicates time to neurodivergent research and advocacy, being a math tutor, and being a part of social justice initiatives. In their free time, Jasmine enjoys cooking, baking, and doing art that makes social and political commentary.
Jason Chen | Saline High School, Saline, Michigan, USA
Jason is a rising senior at Saline High School in Michigan. He is heavily involved in his school’s varsity soccer team and Science Olympiad team, placing 15th in the country in Anatomy and Physiology. He is also NHS President and class vice president. In his spare time, Jason enjoys coaching youth soccer, playing the alto saxophone, and going on late-night drives with his friends. He is very passionate about applications of big data in medicine to reduce healthcare expenditure, which was fostered by his experiences volunteering at his local health department, serving as a youth commissioner in his county, and interning at Intuscare, a healthcare analytics company. He hopes to pursue a career that involves both data science and medicine.
Krisha Thakker | Westview High School, San Diego, California, USA
Krisha is a rising junior at Westview High School in San Diego, California. She is passionate about healthcare and cultivates her passion for societal well-being by organizing blood drives, co-leading a non-profit on mental health awareness among teens, and moderating discussions with doctors and other healthcare professionals at her high school medical club, MedX, to educate members on modern-day medical challenges. She also promotes knowledge of complex science topics via simple and easy-to-understand language through her science blog (mysciencenook.com). Krisha loves Bollywood dancing and has recently begun to choreograph her own routines.
Kritika Singh | BASIS Chandler, Chandler, AZ, USA
Kritika Singh is a rising junior hoping to pursue a career in medicine. She is involved in the National Honor Society and Red Cross clubs at her school. In addition, she is a lead peer advocate with BLOOM365 to help uproot abuse in a generation and spread awareness. In her free time, she likes to sing and draw. In the future, Kritika hopes to use her interest in advocacy and public work to help bring change to the medical field.
Lucy Kim | Oakton High School, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
A rising senior willing to contribute leadership skills, people-centric nature, and public speaking experience to spread knowledge within the public health industry. Lucy is currently a NASA Research Intern, Biomedical Research Intern at George Mason University, founder/president of Global Medicine Youth Ambassadors of America (GMYAA), founder/officer of many medical-related clubs at school (Operation Smile, HOSA, Multi-Ed Club), athlete for OHS Varsity Dance Team, TED Talk Translator, Student Representative at HOBY, Team Captain for Relay For Life, Projective Executive at Students for Cancer Prevention, JHU Medical Intensive Summer School alum, Student Speaker for GHLC, and member of many organizations. Her current career plans include biomedical engineering and volunteering more frequently for people who are in need of medical care.
Mahitha Penmetsa | Downingtown East High School, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, USA
Mahitha Penmetsa is a rising senior at Downingtown East High School who is interested in Public Health and Computer Science. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and running in her free time. In school, Mahitha is involved with TSA, HOSA, and Class Council. Outside, she loves teaching kids how to code and Through her nonprofit Girlplex, Mahitha hopes to bring equal gender representation in the field. She has taught over 700 students in Java, Python, and Web Development since 9th grade. She also volunteers at local hospitals in her free time. In the future she hopes to continue research with AI and breast cancer.
Marko Doce | Antioch High School, Antioch, Tennessee, USA
Marko is a rising sophomore at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee. He enjoys volunteer work, nature, and history. He enjoys participating in extracurricular activities, such as Student Council at his highschool and a Pre-Servant program at his local church. Marko has a published article on COVID-19 in the Pre-Collegiate Global Health Review. In the future, he aspires to have a career in law.
Melanie Sun | Mission San Jose High School , Fremont, California, USA
Melanie is a rising senior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California. Ever since she discovered her interest in medicine, health, and the human body, she has attended multiple summer programs at universities in order to expand her knowledge of these fields. Last year, she published and presented a paper at the IYRC, which helped reinforce her passion for research. In her free time, she loves to cook, bake, grow plants, and play tennis.
Mena Doce | Antioch High School, Antioch, Tennessee, USA
Mena is a rising senior at Antioch High School in Antioch, Tennessee. His extracurricular activities include Academy Ambassador, Student Council, National Honors Society, HOSA Future Health Professionals, and teaching Sunday School at church. He is also a medical and clinical intern at a local hospital and clinic. Mena has published his research on Covid-19 at the Pre-Collegiate Global Health Review. He is also an Adobe Certified Associate in visual design using Adobe Photoshop. He plans to pursue his dream career of becoming a biomedical engineer.
Min Sung (Ellie) Kim | Clarkstown High School North, New City, New York, USA
Min Sung (Ellie) is a rising senior, and has lived in three different countries! She was born and raised in South Korea, spent six years in Vancouver, Canada, and currently attends Clarkstown High School North in New York! Passionate about advocating for more female role models in STEM, she is founding a STEM for girls summer camp in her community. In school, she participates in the Debate Team, is the co-Editor in Chief of the school newspaper, The Ram’s Horn, and plays the flute for the Pit Orchestra. Outside of school, Ellie loves to volunteer, talk on her podcast, write poetry, and listen to Taylor Swift endlessly.
Nahreen Shamon Ayala | Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Nahreen is a rising sophomore at Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School in Atlanta, Georgia. She is involved in her school Robotics Club as the new president, Program Development on the leadership team for the Students for Life Club, DECA, and garden club. Nahreen has a vocation for public health and aspires to become an epidemiologist. Apart from the biological sciences, she also enjoys literature and linguistics.
Namrata Venkatesan | Jesuit High School, Portland, Oregon, USA
Namrata is a sophomore at Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon. She is co-founder and co-president of her school's HOSA chapter and is also involved in Science Olympiad, History Bowl, and National History Day. She has a strong passion for medicine and global health, and hopes to go into the field as a physician. Aside from biology, she enjoys learning different languages. In her free time, Namrata loves to sing, play the "Veena," an Indian string instrument, and spend time with friends and family.
Rachel Lee | Chantilly High School, Chantilly, Virginia, USA
Rachel Lee is a rising junior at Chantilly High School located in Chantilly, VA. She is involved in numerous clubs and nonprofit organizations, where she holds several leadership positions. Also, she has participated in multiple research-oriented programs and competitions, recently placing in the nation’s top 10%. Rachel has a strong interest in the biological sciences and hopes to pursue a career in the medical field. Outside of school, she serves as a violin mentor for disadvantaged students in her county.
Rachitha Kumar | Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, California, USA
Rachitha is a rising senior who loves studying biology and natural sciences. Outside of school, Rachitha has done cervical cancer and COVID research, volunteers with special needs organizations, and is training to be a birth worker. She is also passionate about music and enjoys singing acapella and playing the piano. In the future, she hopes to be a surgeon who works with children and families.
Raghav Edara | Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Raghav Edara was born in Chicago and is now 16 years old. He is pursuing his IB Diploma now. He loves the field of medicine and is very interested in STEM. He is a leader, a public speaker, a debater, researcher and an upcoming author. He wants to become a doctor in the future and revolutionize the healthcare industry by making it more affordable and accurate. Raghav is a representative for Green Kanha. He loves anchoring and debating and is an Indian Representative to the United Nations.
Rajiv Edara | Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Rajiv is a rising senior at LMOIS and is passionate about global health and healthcare. Rajiv is the founder and president of Medgeía Club where he collaborates with students from more than 12 countries to address pressing healthcare issues. He also participates and has represented India in United Nations conferences such as United Nations Student Leadership Conference on Development and SCOPA, works on various service based projects with his school’s rotary club where he is a director, and he volunteers at an environment based initiative - Green Kanha that has planted more than 100,000 trees. He aspires to become a doctor and pursue a career in medicine.
Rana Ali | Oakton High School, Vienna, Virginia, USA
Rana is a rising senior who is passionate about Computer Science and Medicine, as well as increasing accessibility of healthcare to all nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds. Rana enjoys representing her school at HOSA (Future Health Care Professionals) conferences and learning about how changes in policy affect the health of a country’s inhabitants, which she has expressed through representing her mosque as a Climate Change confrontalist advocate. As a Girls Who Code instructor and the Vice President of her school’s Kids Can Be Scientists Too chapter, she works to expose kids to areas of STEM and medicine they may not have learned about in hopes of inspiring children of all backgrounds to come together in making the world a safer place. Rana will begin working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in the coming year, and hopes to continue pursuing her love for medicine and computer science as a bioinformatics major and ultimately as a medical student.
Rasagna Vuppala | South Forsyth High School, Cumming, Georgia, USA
Rasagna Vuppala is a rising senior at South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia. She is a published author of both a novel and a poem. In the future, she aspires to serve as a researcher in the public health industry and learn more about microbiology and epidemiology. Rasagna is the Marketing Manager of GA Madhatter Knits Foundation, and enjoys making an impact on her community through service and volunteering. She is greatly involved in Science Olympiad, HOSA, Dance Team, and other extracurricular activities. In her free time, she loves to dance, read, write, paint, and spend time with family.
Ria Mirchandani | John Burroughs School, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Ria Mirchandani lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and is a rising senior at the John Burroughs School. She believes that technology can be used to improve global health and the quality of people’s lives by providing solutions to mankind’s biggest problems such as healthcare, food insecurity, agricultural productivity, and disaster recovery, among others. She loves singing with her choir, learning French, and reading because they have allowed her to connect with new people and diverse ideas.
Sam Bouchard | Westview High School, Portland, Oregon, USA
Sam Bouchard is a rising high school junior who likes to contribute to his local community as a donor ambassador for the Red Cross and to the global community as an executive organizer of One Health Hackathon, an innovation event organized by and for high schoolers, aimed to equip the next generation of global health leaders with the tools to prevent future pandemics. He is a competitive member of his school’s speech and debate team who is fascinated by the intersection of health and policy in the US and internationally. He is also involved in Model UN, Science Olympiad, and plays as 1st chair alto saxophone in his school’s symphonic band. In his free time, he self-studies Korean and Japanese, and likes to take 50+ mile cycling trips with his friends around Oregon.
Samhita Vinay | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Samhita is a rising senior from Virginia, and is interested in the intersection of biology and computer science, along with science communication. She is the captain of her school’s Science Olympiad team, a hackathon organizer, and leads Sci4Teens, an organization dedicated to promoting science communication for teens. Throughout high school, she has become exposed to and thoroughly enjoyed writing about scientific topics, whether it be in the form of research papers or review articles. In her free time, she enjoys reading science-related articles, dancing, and spending time with her family.
Sarah Cortez-De La Cruz | Oakton High School, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Sarah Cortez-De La Cruz is a rising senior from Fairfax, Virginia. She’s very involved with her school’s Student Demand Action Organization, NEHS, and plays alto saxophone in the marching band. Outside of school, she’s been able to explore her passions in advocacy and public health through various intersectionality-based lobbying collectives, and The Mindfulness Project, an organization dedicated to addressing mental health during a global pandemic. In her free time, Sarah enjoys writing, spending time with her family and friends, and growing different fruits and herbs in her garden. In the future, she plans on pursuing a career in psychology, specifically child development.
Sejal Singh | Oakton High School, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Sejal is a rising senior at Oakton High School in Vienna, Virginia. She is a member of her school’s varsity girls basketball team. In her free time she enjoys baking. Sejal is the founder and president of her school’s chapter of HOSA-Future Health Professionals, and she has placed first in Pathophysiology and Medical Terminology at the State level. Furthermore, she has devoted her time to working with the Gender Equality Hub of the Teens Dream Co Lab organization to promote gender equality on a local and global scale. Sejal is very passionate about gender equality, especially in healthcare, and she hopes to pursue a career that can coalesce the fields of medicine and gender equality.
Shelly Bhagat | MICDS, St Louis, Missouri, USA
Shelly Bhagat is a rising senior at MICDS in St. Louis, Missouri, and she is incredibly passionate about medicine and mental health advocacy. She is the founder of a global mental health initiative called MIST (Mental Illness Support for Teenagers) which aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and has student led chapters and volunteers across the world as well as a magazine, podcast, and more. In her free time, she loves to debate, paint, dance, and read.
Siri Dandu | Downingtown East High School, Exton, Pennsylvania, USA
Siri Dandu is a rising senior at Downingtown East High School. She is interested in the intersection between medicine and technology. Siri is a part of her school's TSA and HOSA chapters and enjoys volunteering at hospitals. Through her nonprofit GirlPlex, Siri works to bring gender equality to computer science by teaching girls how to code in languages such as Java, Python, and web development. Outside of school Siri enjoys dancing, watching movies, and spending time with her family. In the future, she hopes to major in biomedical engineering and pursue a career in medicine.
Siyeon Lee | Yongsan International School of Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
Siyeon is a rising junior at Yongsan International School of Seoul in Seoul, South Korea. She loves playing games with her friends, drawing, and watching her favorite show, Everything Sucks, on Netflix. Her favorite extracurriculars at school include Drama and Model UN, but she is also involved in out-of-school activities such as being a graphic designer for a student-led cancer awareness account or competing in the British Biology Olympiad. Siyeon has always had a passion for Biology since she was very young and wants to pursue a path in biological research or education.
Sohani Sandhu | Arizona College Preparatory High School, Chandler, Arizona, USA
Sohani is a rising senior at Arizona College Preparatory High School. She is a passionate advocate for scientific research, having led multiple research groups. These projects have won state and national awards from organizations such as MIT and Arizona State University (ASU). One of her main projects involves the development of a medical device for heat stroke prevention, which is patent pending and backed by her company. Along these lines, Sohani also is the Co-founder and President of her school’s Research Club, dedicated to helping others develop their own projects. In the future, she hopes to further develop her research skills while pursuing a career in the medical care industry.
Srinidhi Yelimati |Chantilly High School, Chantilly, Virginia, USA
Srinidhi is a rising senior at Chantilly High School in Northern Virginia. She is particularly interested in the medical field and enjoys helping others. She is actively involved in many extracurriculars in school such as HOSA, Relay for Life, Red Cross Society, Medlife, and Future Health Leaders. Srinidhi runs her own small business outside of school and plays the piano. She has also been a dancer of a classical Indian dance style called Kuchipudi for about 11 years. She is part of the Global Health Scholars Program for the Model World Health Organization at GMU. In the future, she would like to continue her journey in global health in college and plans to enter the medical field as a physician.
Suhaas Bonkur | South Forsyth High School, Cumming, Georgia, USA
Suhaas is a rising senior at SFHS, which is a public school in GA. He has always been interested in highlighting the parallels between athletics and the influence they may have on our bodies, and has thus angled his interests outside and inside of school to reflect it. He is part of the school and club Varsity swim team and is a co-captain for both for the next school year. Outside of school he is a regional co-lead for the Red Cross and incoming state grassroots advocate for heart health and tobacco restriction in the American Heart Association. He also likes to go to the gym and watch horror tv shows on Netflix.
Tanusri Gudavalli | Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, California, USA
Tanusri is a rising senior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California. She is very passionate about medicine and neuroscience research and hopes to pursue a biology major in college. She co-founded an international club called BioWonders where she teaches students in underprivileged communities the various topics in biology. Outside of school, she dedicates her time to stroke research in Latin America and volunteers at a nonprofit organization called Sewa. She also loves playing the bass at Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra and performing at music festivals. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in the healthcare field.
Tryphena Pilli | Briar Woods High School, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
Tryphena is a rising senior at Briar Woods High School in Ashburn, Virginia. She is concurrently enrolled in the Academies of Loudoun. She is passionate about the field of healthcare and currently aspires to become a physician; she also hopes to help promote equality in the field of health in the future. She participates in the club Aspiring Medical Professionals of Loudoun and has previously volunteered at the DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Aside from the field of healthcare, she enjoys volunteering and is a part of her school’s Key Club.
Yash Rajana | Lynbrook High School, San Jose, California, USA
Yash, a rising senior, is passionate about raising awareness and finding solutions for disparities in STEM education and community health. He co-founded a nonprofit Hands-On STEM, which is striving to close the education gap in the Bay Area, while providing experimental STEM opportunities to low-income students. Yash is on the Youth Advisory Group for Mental Health for Santa Clara County, advocating for a mental health curriculum in local high schools. Yash is an intern at Mangata, led by a Professor at Stanford, conducting research on how different demographics view mental health illnesses. He also enjoys playing violin, taking walks with his dog, and dancing. Yash aspires to pursue public health on his way to becoming an oncologist.
Yasmine Biyashev | Walter Payton College Prep, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Yasmine Biyashev is a rising senior at Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago. She is passionate about the intersection of STEM and humanities, particularly within the context of achieving greater social equity. She has extensive lab and research experience from Northwestern University’s dermatological department, organizes Chicago Public School’s annual Gender Equity for Teens Conference, and is further involved in many city-wide organizations and nonprofits. Outside of academics, Yasmine loves boxing, writing, and enjoying time outside.
Yenna Ko | Seoul International School, Seoul, South Korea
Yenna is a rising junior at Seoul International School. She is very passionate about global health issues, the environment, human equality and animal rights issues. She aspires to become a veterinarian in the future, as she loves animals and hfer dream since she was young was to become a veterinarian. Her favorite subjects at school include biology and chemistry, and she also has been playing flute since second grade. She also loves to play volleyball and bake in her free time.
Yuvraj Walia | Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, California, USA
Yuvraj is a rising sophomore at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California. Yuvraj has been deeply interested in healthcare since a young age. He was the president of the middle school Future Health Professionals (HOSA) chapter. Yuvraj also served as the head of Asian-American outreach in California for Proposition 14, where he presented at the TiEcon tech conference and secured endorsements from councilmembers. Prop. 14, a stem-cell ballot initiative passed in 2020, approved $5.5 billion for regenerative medicine research. To continue raising awareness for stem cell research, Yuvraj cofounded the Student Society for Regenerative Medicine, which aims to connect undergrad students with established health professionals. Outside of his involvement in health, Yuvraj loves biochemistry research and skateboarding with his friends. Yuvraj also enjoys competitive speech & debate, in which he is nationally ranked.