Summer Researchers in Global Health

Anushka Kabra

Anushka Kabra is a rising senior at Dougherty Valley High School with a strong commitment to global health equity, health policy, and science-driven advocacy. As National Youth Lead for EkamUSA, she leads maternal and child health efforts in rural India. Through journalism and speech & debate, she explores how health systems can better serve communities excluded from care and policymaking. In the future, Anushka aspires to build data-driven, justice-oriented public health systems that protect vulnerable populations.
Mentor: Ndola Prata, MD, MSc
Project: Child Marriage project with Innovations for Youth

Asha Spitzer

Asha Spitzer is a student at Campolindo High School. She is drawn to the field of global and public health because of her inherent interest in data, statistics, and historical patterns. Her experience as both a swimmer and youth swim coach has cultivated her unique perspective on the impact of policy decisions at a local level. She hopes to expand her local experience through her journey with the UCGHI program.
Mentor: Ndola Prata, MD, MSc
Project: Child Marriage project with Innovations for Youth

Berfin (Nadia) Basar

Nadia Basar is a rising senior at San Mateo High School, completing her final year through the Middle College program at College of San Mateo. She is part of her school’s biotechnology program and works part-time at a biotech firm in Foster City. Nadia is exploring various fields with a growing interest in public health. With family in six countries across Europe and the U.S., she’s especially drawn to global health and how healthcare systems differ worldwide.
Mentor: Maeve Forster, MS
Project: Supporting the development of a code book for STRIPE HIV data

Chanmolyta (Chan) Kim

Chan is a rising senior at Lowell High School in San Francisco passionate about the intersection between medicine and advocacy. She's passionate about advocating for healthcare for underrepresented communities internationally and equitable education. She has been working at the Youth Empowerment Fund since sophomore year, supporting youth to have resources to fund their initiatives to benefit the overall community. Outside of that, she works at her family business, creating community all over the city.
Mentors: Jessica Hernandez-Ortiz, MA, William Martinez, PhD, ABPP, Maria Jimenez-Salazar, PhD
Project: Fuerte: School-based Prevention Services for Newcomer Immigrant Youth

Deetya Potakamuri

Deetya Potakamuri is a student at Wilcox High School with a strong interest in biology, neuroscience, and local/global public health, both in her community and worldwide. She is dedicated to researching and understanding strategies to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities worldwide. Through the UCGHI SRGH program, she hopes to further engage with her community members, peers, and global health professionals to build a strong foundation for her future endeavors in health care.
Mentor: Grant Hartzog, PhD
Project: A yeast genetics approach to identifying Wolbachia effector genes

Egshiglen (Angie) Gankhuyag

Angie is a determined and hardworking student with interests in global public health, healthcare, and biomedical science. She applies her knowledge from rigorous courses in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental studies, and biomedical studies. Being a quick learner, problem solver, and a person who does exceptionally well in stressful situations. Having been driven by a firsthand personal experience with medical error, she's dedicated to advocating for equal care and improved patient outcomes by science and service.
Mentors: Woutrina Smith, DVM, MPVM, PhD, Raneesh Ramarapu, Camilo Echeverria Jr.
Project: The role of tubulins in neural crest epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Erick Soto Martinez

Erick Soto Martinez is a Santa Cruz High student with a 4.0 GPA, varsity athlete, and is a music producer. He’s passionate about public health education and correcting generational misinformation. Erick plans to study civil engineering at a four-year university to help build healthier and more informed communities through infrastructure.
Mentor: Matt Sparke, PhD, MA
Project: Farmworker Community Education Pathways for Equity and Climate Resilience

Hana Alhamadsheh

Hana Alhamadsheh is a student at The College Preparatory School passionate about global health, equity-driven leadership, and pediatric research. She has conducted opioid-related neonatal studies at the University of the Pacific and represented her school at the NAIS Civic Leadership Summit. As a student leader and mentor, Hana aims to bridge science and social justice to address global health disparities. She hopes to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. to serve underserved communities worldwide.
Mentor: Beth Phillips, MPH
Project: Innovations for Choice and Autonomy (ICAN) project dissemination

Harshith Ramreddy

Harshith Ramreddy is a dedicated student with a strong interest in global health, health equity, and community service. They have conducted academic work on social determinants of health and volunteered with Alzheimer's fundraisers and local food pantries. Passionate about medicine and public health, they aim to bridge local and global health disparities through research and advocacy.
Mentors: Andrea DeLuca, MHS, Sarah Hutchinson, BA, Priya Shete, MD, MPH, Patrick Phillips, PhD, MS, MA, Mohsen Malekinejad, MD, MPH, DrPH
Project: UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences Pathways Development

Isabella Medina

Isabella Medina was born in Merced, CA, and is a high school student at Merced High. She is interested in STEM fields, environmental science, and literature. Isabella has taken academic coursework in biology and has explored biotechnology. In her free time, she loves to read, garden, and spend lazy weekends with family and friends.
Mentors: Kesia Garibay, PhD, MSPH and Nancy Burke, PhD, MA
Project: CEAL Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Mental Health Study in San Joaquin Valley & Retired Farmworkers Study in San Joaquin Valley

Ishmael Bolls

Ishmael Bolls is a motivated rising senior curious about the intersection of technology, health equity, and storytelling. He explores how innovation in computing can expand healthcare access and outcomes. His experiences include a big data apprenticeship at UC Berkeley and a city government internship. Outside of academics, Ishmael enjoys singing, gaming, exercising, and traveling. This internship marks his first opportunity to engage directly with UCSF and global health work.
Mentors: Stephanie Sumstine-Felice, MPH and Madhavi Dandu, MD, MPH
Project: Global health communications and storytelling with the UC Global Health Institute

Jason Nishio

Jason Nishio is a rising high school senior at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley. His interests include bioinformatics/machine learning, explainable AI for promoting the trustworthiness of computational technology in public health, and medical ethics. His past work has involved using deep learning to detect and classify breast tumors, brain tumors, dementia, and cervical spondylosis in medical images such as MRI, histopathology, and X-ray. He is devoted to contributing in bringing universal access to healthcare technologies.
Mentor: Jeremy Keenan, MD, MPH
Project: Classification of safe water sources from a study in Ethiopia

Jennifer Escalante

Jennifer is a rising senior at Rancho San Juan High School, nestled in between the Salinas Valley in the central coast of California. She is interested in conducting research and implementing diverse programs. She is looking forward to gaining a unique perspective on healthcare. In the future she hopes to improve the healthcare system and attain equity for everyone.
Mentor: Ndola Prata, MD, MSc
Project: Child Marriage project with Innovations for Youth

Joann Kasipalli

Joann is a dedicated student in the healthcare field. She is very involved in her community with a strong passion for high quality healthcare services. She spends her free time working at her local homeless shelter and well as participating on the Merced Youth Council. She highly values her family and culture. She is on track to complete a nursing program with ambitious sights set on becoming a medical doctor serving the underrepresented in the Central Valley.
Mentors: Andrea DeLuca, MHS, Sarah Hutchinson, BA, Priya Shete, MD, MPH, Patrick Phillips, PhD, MS, MA, Mohsen Malekinejad, MD, MPH, DrPH
Project: UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences Pathways Development

Katey Lee

Katey currently attends Encinal High school, and plans to major in biology during college. She is passionate about researching public health to deepen her understanding of the field and to educate the community on relevant health topics. Katey aims to apply her knowledge from SRGH into her future career, medical profession. Aside from science, she enjoys running, photography, and volunteering with the red cross.
Mentors: Andrea DeLuca, MHS, Sarah Hutchinson, BA, Priya Shete, MD, MPH, Patrick Phillips, PhD, MS, MA, Mohsen Malekinejad, MD, MPH, DrPH
Project: UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences Pathways Development

Mahika Goswami

Mahika Goswami is a high school dedicated and hard working student. She has a passion for AI in the field of health care. She also is passionate about advocacy for conditions that could be prevented such as Thalassemia.
Mentor: Ndola Prata, MD, MSc
Project: Child Marriage project with Innovations for Youth

Margo Weber

Margo Weber is a high school student passionate about global health equity, pediatric care, and science education. She has conducted gene-editing research on cystic fibrosis, volunteered in pediatric orthopedics at UCSF Children’s Hospitals, and led STEM workshops for elementary students. She aims to address health disparities in local and global communities through research, clinical work, and education.
Mentors: Andrea DeLuca, MHS, Sarah Hutchinson, BA, Priya Shete, MD, MPH, Patrick Phillips, PhD, MS, MA, Mohsen Malekinejad, MD, MPH, DrPH
Project: UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences Pathways Development

Marikit (Mari) Flores

Mari Flores is a rising senior at The Urban School of San Francisco. Her public health interests include epidemiology, preventative health, and infectious disease. A career goal of hers is to join the Epidemic Intelligence Service. Last summer, she was accepted to the CDC Online Summer Course, and she currently serves as a research intern assisting with projects investigating lung cancer disparities in Asian populations. Outside of academics, Mari is a nationally ranked competitive artistic swimmer.
Mentor: Rikita Merai, MPH 
Project: Supporting activities for the Pacific Southwest Center for Emergency Public Health

Mason Layug

Mason Ellis Layug, a current high school junior, seeks to further his understanding of the branches of public health. His profound interest in the betterment of public health is demonstrated by enrolling in biotechnology and Advanced Placement courses in psychology and biology. He participates in extracurricular activities emphasizing mental health awareness, community service, and public speaking. Mason is a proud descendant of Filipino immigrants and enjoys meeting new people from diverse backgrounds.
Mentor: Danny Rahal, PhD
Project: Systematic Review on Heart Rate Variability and Children's Environmental Sensitivity

Navya Sinha

Navya is a rising senior at Hillsdale High School interested in neuroscience, bioinformatics, and promoting health equity through research. She became interested in public health while working at the Public Health Research Institute of India, where she contributed to a project focused on the health and safety of tobacco workers. As a researcher at the Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program, she studies brain-computer interfaces, and hopes to apply her current research to public health challenges.
Mentor: Patti Orozco, MPA (UCSF)
Project: Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia (CHESA) Fellowship communications and knowledge management project

Sarah Border

Sarah Border is a junior at Da Vinci Charter Academy who's passionate about making healthcare more accessible to everyone. She's maintained a 4.21 GPA while taking challenging courses in computer science, chemistry, and calculus. As a lifeguard and former camp counselor, Sarah has learned how to stay calm under pressure and connect with people of all ages. She's also an Eagle Scout candidate who's led groups of scouts on wilderness adventures and community service projects. Sarah's excited to explore how technology and medicine can work together to improve public health, especially in communities that need it most.
Mentors: Woutrina Smith, DVM, MPVM, PhD, Raneesh Ramarapu, Camilo Echeverria Jr.
Project: Characterizing structural elements of the developing cornea

Sathvega Somasundaram

Sathvega Somasundaram is a passionate student with interests in public health, biomedical research, and science communication. She is an advocate for speech impediments, having one herself, and aims to impact the youth through empowerment and storytelling. Sathvega enjoys expressing herself through speaking engagements, writing, and serving her community, and strives to use science to create meaningful change. She aspires to pursue a career in the medical field.
Mentors: Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH and Jennifer Ko, MLIS
Project: Supporting activities for the California Home Abortion by Telehealth (CHAT) Study with ANSIRH

Shradha Kesari

Shradha Kesari is a rising senior in high school dedicated to impacting global health. Shradha aims for a future in medicine and is passionate about molecular biology, public health, neuroscience, and environmental sustainability. She contributed to molecular biology, stem cell research, and cancer biology by working on research projects on isolating a unique bacteriophage, exploring how media impacts public understanding of stem cell research, and investigating how mental stress impacts cancer development.
Mentors: Kesia Garibay, PhD, MSPH and Nancy Burke, PhD, MA
Project: CEAL Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Mental Health Study in San Joaquin Valley & Retired Farmworkers Study in San Joaquin Valley

Sophia Guan

Sophia Guan is a rising senior in high school with a strong passion for addressing health disparities in underserved communities around the world, especially those worsened by climate change. She looks forward to building on her experiences in public health and advocacy to create a meaningful impact that protects the most vulnerable. In the future, Sophia aspires to earn a PhD in Public Health and drive policy solutions that ensure access to care for all.
Mentors: Allison Tatarsky, MPH and Katie Giessler, MPH
Project: The intersectionality of gender and malaria

Tanisha Reehal

Tanisha is a rising senior from San Jose. She is interested in mental health, health ethics and equity, and advocacy. Through her volunteering experiences, she has developed a passion for public health and aiding underserved communities. She hopes to deepen her understanding of pressing public and global health matters in order to one day create lasting change.
Mentor: Ben Breen, PhD
Project: Ghosts of the Machine Age: A Family, an Empire, and the Prehistory of Artificial Intelligence

Tanya Arora

Tanya is passionate about computer science, global health, and cognitive science. With strong foundations in computer science, statistics, and biology, she explores data-driven approaches to health, behavior, and brain science. Interested in Freud’s theories of childhood development, she studies how childhood observations influence one’s long-term mindset on well-being. Rooted in her South Asian heritage, she researches how natural, common kitchen ingredients can replace harmful products—aiming to advance sustainable, culturally informed solutions to global health challenges.
Mentor: Isabel Madzorera, ScD, MS
Project: Evaluating consumption of ultra-processed food in Africa: a mini-review

Thomas Saz Donohue

Tom was born in Santa Cruz, CA to parents from Spain/UK and Australia. He spent nine years in Hong Kong where his interest in global issues began. A life-threatening car accident, as well as his mother’s fieldwork in Nepal, sparked a passion for global health, particularly cross-cultural care and health equity. Further, spending the pandemic in Hong Kong highlighted stark policy contrasts, reinforcing his commitment to understanding how different health policies impact communities.
Mentor: Matt Sparke, PhD, MA
Project: Farmworker Community Education Pathways for Equity and Climate Resilience

Xiaoyin Zeng

Xiaoyin Zeng is a rising senior student at KIPP King Collegiate High School. She is passionate about community education, immigrant advocacy, and promoting both local and global health equity. As a Youth Build Immigrant Power organizer, she developed bilingual health and social issues workshops for more than 20 Oakland families. Assisting low-income families in navigating community resources and medical benefits.This summer, she hopes to deepen her global health knowledge through the internship with UCGHI.
Mentor: Robert Mansfield, MSc
Project: Building local community support for HIV/AIDS initiatives

Yu Tian (April) Zhang

Driven by her personal experiences growing up, April is passionate about global health, public education, and she looks forward to pursuing a career in healthcare where she can work directly to improve the lives of individuals and communities. She is the founder of the Adopt a Hospital chapter at her school, fundraising for healthcare initiatives in Ghana, and she also teaches English to middle school students in Taiwan!
Mentor: Alison El Ayadi, ScD, MPH
Project: Landscape Evaluation of Global Fistula Programming

As a multi-campus program, we are partnering with 41 faculty, staff, and graduate student mentors who are working with our high school interns this summer. Meet the mentors from UCSF, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz!

UC Berkeley

• Isabel Madzorera, ScD, MS
  UCGHI Advisory Council Member, Food, Nutrition and Population Health, School of Public Health
• Karen Weidert, MPH
  UC Berkeley Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability, School of Public Health
• Marieka Schotland, PhD
  Innovations for Youth Center, School of Public Health
• Ndola Prata, MD, MSc
  UC Global Health Institute, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability

UC Davis

• Crystal Rogers, PhD
  Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine
• Woutrina Smith, DVM, MPVM, PhD
  UCGHI Center for Planetary Health, School of Veterinary Medicine Global Programs, School of Veterinary Medicine
• Raneesh Ramarapu
  School of Veterinary Medicine
• Camilo Echeverria Jr.
  School of Veterinary Medicine

UC Merced

• Kesia Garibay, PhD, MSPH
  Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts
• Nancy Burke, PhD, MA
  Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts, Former UCGHI Advisory Council Member

UC San Francisco

• Aleena Jacob, MPH
  Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Alison El Ayadi, ScD, MPH
  Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health
• Allison Tatarsky, MPH
  Malaria Elimination Initiative, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Andrea DeLuca, MHS
  Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Beth Phillips, MPH
  Innovations for Choice and Autonomy, Family Community Medicine
• Denise Barrios, BA
  Center for Global Strategic Information and Public Health Practice, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Jennifer Ko, MLIS
  Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences
• Jeremy Keenan, MD, MPH
  F.I. Proctor Foundation, Ophthalmology
• Jess Celentano, MS
  Center for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, School of Nursing Institute for Health and Aging, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Jessica Hernandez-Ortiz, MA
  Clinical Psychology
• Karen Horn, MBA, MPH
  Center for Global Strategic Information and Public Health Practice, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Katie Giessler, MPH
  Malaria Elimination Initiative, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Madhavi Dandu, MD, MPH
  UC Global Health Institute, Division of Hospital Medicine, School of Medicine
• Maeve Forster, MS
  STRIPE HIV and UCSF H2R, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Maria Jimenez-Salazar, PhD
  Psychology
• Mohsen Malekinejad, MD, MPH, DrPH
  Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Center for Resilient Societies and Technology, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Patrick Phillips, PhD, MS, MA
  Center for Tuberculosis, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• Patti Orozco, MPA
  Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Priya Shete, MD, MPH
  Pulmonary Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, School of Medicine, PRISE Center, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Rikita Merai, MPH
  Center for Global Strategic Information and Public Health Practice, Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Robert Mansfield, MSc
  Institute for Global Health Sciences
• Sarah Hutchinson, BA
  UCSF Center for Tuberculosis, UC Berkeley Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center
• Stephanie Sumstine-Felice, MPH
  UC Global Health Institute
• Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH
  UCGHI Center for Gender & Health Justice, Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, UCSF Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences
• William Martinez, PhD, ABPP
  Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Health and Human Rights Initiative

UC Santa Cruz

• Ben Breen, PhD
  Humanities Division, History
• Danny Rahal, PhD
  Social Sciences Division, Global & Community Health, Psychology
• Grant Hartzog, PhD
  Physical & Biological Sciences Division, Global and Community Health, Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology
• Matt Sparke, PhD, MA
  Politics, Global and Community Health, Former UCGHI Advisory Council Member, 2022 UC Global Health Day Host
• Nina Reeves
  Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
• Sommer Fowler
  Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

• Eligibility Criteria: Rising High School Senior in Northern California located geographically approximately 1 hour each way of a Northern California UC campus (UCSF, UCB, UCM, UCSC, UCD) with the ability to travel to/from the designated UC campus independently.
• Time Commitment: This is a hybrid program with a 30 hour/week time commitment with the expectation that the intern go on-site 1-2 times per week, per mentors needs.
• Stipend: Interns will receive a $2000 stipend for their participation after program graduation.
• Mentored Project: Interns will be matched with a mentor and project at the UC campus.
• In-person Graduation & Showcase: The program will conclude with an in-person graduation and Showcase where interns will present their findings from their final projects on Thursday, July 17th, 2025 at UCSF Byers Auditorium: 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94158.

Apply Now!

Submission Deadline: Sunday, April 20th, 2025 at 11:59pm PT

The online application asks students to provide the following information:

• Contact information
• Resume (one page)
• A personal statement that describes why you are interested in global health (in 300 - 500 words)
• Letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor