Joel Adu-Brimpong is an MD/MBA candidate at Stanford University, currently pursuing policy studies at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government as a Zuckerman Fellow. His work centers on advancing precision healthcare through AI, health systems engineering and public-private innovation. Joel began his academic journey at the University of Michigan, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with highest distinction in Behavioral Neuroscience and earning a Master of Health Informatics as a Health Informatics Achievement Fellow. He was named a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholar and later served as a biomedical research fellow at the NIH. His research on digital health, digital therapeutics, learning health systems, and social epidemiology has been published in Nature, JAMA, and other leading journals. At the Cleveland Clinic, Joel served as a digital health and healthcare administration fellow and later as Program Manager of Strategic Initiatives, where he implemented remote sensing and patient monitoring technologies to expand access and modernize care delivery. As a Graduate Fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and an NIH Bridge2AI Scholar, he now researches digital biomarkers of disease progression using wearables and AI-powered tools to enable personalized, proactive medicine.

Nikki Kalani Apana is an MPP candidate at Harvard Kennedy School, where she will focus on health policy addressing Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) disparities, addiction medicine, and harm reduction. She earned her BA in Human Biology with Honors and Distinction from Stanford University. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and received the Stanford Award of Excellence for scholarly achievement and the Kenworthy Award for Student Innovation in Public Service. Nikki is also pursuing her MD at UCSF in the PRIME-US program, where she is training to become a primary care physician dedicated to advancing health equity in urban underserved communities through both clinical care and policy change. Nikki’s work centers on uplifting marginalized communities through research, advocacy, and education. As an undergraduate, she led a qualitative study on implicit bias in patient care and co-developed a training curriculum for healthcare providers that has reached over 500 clinicians. She received the Oral Communication Excellence Award for her honors thesis presentation on this work. She later joined the board of Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly, working to expand Indigenous education across the city, especially in public schools. In medical school, Nikki has focused her research on NHPI health disparities, highlighting systemic gaps in data, funding, and care affecting these communities. Her publications in JAMA have brought national attention to the long-term health impacts of the Lāhainā wildfires, overdose trends among Native Hawaiians, and mental health challenges in queer Indigenous communities. She has influenced policy discussions through her role on the SAMHSA ‘Ohana Center of Excellence Steering Committee. Nikki also leads addiction research on betel nut use among youth globally, working to develop targeted policies to reduce exposure and cancer risk. She hopes to use the MPP to create compassionate, data-driven health policies that advance equity both nationally and internationally. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Nikki’s roots trace to Wailuku, Maui, where her Native Hawaiian family’s experiences first sparked her passion for health equity. She honors her heritage through hula, and enjoys running, reading, and listening to science and policy podcasts in her free time.

Marco Balestri is a JD candidate at Harvard Law School. He received a BA with honors from Columbia University, where he majored in American history and won the Chanler Historical Prize for his thesis examining the disenfranchisement of naturalized immigrants under the 1922 New York State Literacy Test Law. Marco’s thesis was inspired by his work at the Brennan Center for Justice and as an organizer on multiple Senate and Congressional campaigns, where he witnessed the inequalities of the American electoral system. For the past decade, Marco has worked at advocacy nonprofits and government offices, with the goal of defending and expanding civil rights and access to legal representation. Passionate about eviction defense and addressing patterns of systemic injustice, Marco is proud to have played a role disrupting a legal system that disproportionately harms marginalized New Yorkers. Since 2022, Marco has worked at the Neighborhood Defenders Services of Harlem, helping more than 185 families remain in their homes and securing more than $2.2 million in rental assistance for his clients. At NDS, he also founded a citywide working group of lawyers and advocates to improve access to public benefits, spearheaded the publication of a New York Times article on housing voucher access, and testified before the New York City Council. After graduation, Marco plans to work at the intersection of indigent defense and systemic legal reform, with a focus on promoting legal education to help grassroots organizations build lasting power. Marco ultimately aspires to establish nationwide civil right-to-counsel programs for low-income people facing eviction and deportation. Marco is a lifelong New Yorker. He loves soccer, photography, and mixology. Throughout college, Marco managed the Columbia Bartending Agency, where bartending highlights included assisting highwire artist Philippe Petit with a magic trick, helping Jane Fonda prepare for a speech, and dancing salsa with Lin-Manuel Miranda. Half-Florentine, Marco loves cooking traditional Tuscan dishes and is an avid Fiorentina fan.

Carissa Chen is a JD candidate at Yale Law School and a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Harvard University. She received a B.A. in History and Economics from Harvard, where her senior thesis – an intergenerational biography of the living descendants of enslaved people – received a Thomas T. Hoopes Prize for “outstanding senior thesis” and was featured in the New York Times and the Boston Globe. She received the Department of History’s college prize for the “best work of original historical scholarship” and fellowships from the Center for History and Economics and the Harvard Economics Department. She completed an MPhil in Economics at the University of Oxford on the Rhodes Scholarship. Carissa and her co-authors developed the International Monetary Fund’s first machine learning methods for detailed predictions of economic activity in Sub-Saharan African countries. She drafted a white paper at the U.S. Treasury Department on corporate audits and their impacts on market competition, and published research on tax credits and improving the affordability of childcare. Carissa currently works on research at the intersection of machine learning and the law, and hopes to pursue a career as a law professor. Carissa was born in Allentown, PA and grew up in Tustin, CA. She enjoys writing poetry and painting. She was a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts for her poetry, and her work has been featured in the Kennedy Center Hall of Nations, the Kenyon Review, the Tupelo Quarterly, and BOAAT Journal, among others. Her paintings have been featured at the White House President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Warhol Museum, and the Harvard President’s inauguration. She volunteers as a preschool teaching assistant at her church in Cambridge, and hopes to write and illustrate a children’s book this summer.

Gil Damon is a JD candidate at Yale Law School. He is interested in environmental litigation and grassroots organizing. Gil holds an MPP from Cambridge University, where he held the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and worked for the British Royal Society on space and energy diplomacy. He received a B.S. in Psychology & Political Science from Florida State University, interning for NASA, the White House, and Florida lawmakers. He began his studies at Tallahassee Community College. Before law school, Gil spent three years at the Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, where he designed strategies to tackle methane—a devastating climate super pollutant—in the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. As Lead Methane Research Fellow, he helped build the Subnational Methane Action Coalition, which advises more than 20 states, representing over 200 million people. He is co-author of Hunting Methane With Satellites and the U.S. Federal Methane Abatement Handbook. A proud native of Florida’s Forgotten Coast, Gil runs the Downriver Project—a nonprofit that works to preserve local resources for hunting and fishing. The group has defeated several major oil and wastewater threats, all worth millions to their backers. Gil has also served his home state as a riverboat captain in the Florida Park Service, operating a 45-passenger vessel while teaching passengers about manatees and alligators. Growing up, Gil watched as his hometown was reshaped by hurricanes, groundwater pollution, oyster dieoffs, and the BP oil spill. He aims to use his legal education to represent similarly vulnerable communities. Gil is a trail runner, private pilot, and key lime pie enthusiast.

Elijah DeVaughn is a JD candidate at Yale Law School. He graduated from Harvard College in 2021, where he studied History and Literature, African American Studies, and Spanish. At Harvard, Elijah won the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize, the university’s award for outstanding scholarly work in the completion of a senior thesis and was awarded the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. In 2023, Elijah earned an MPhil in History at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. After his studies, he served as a Presidential Speechwriter to the 46th President of the United States Joe Biden. Hired at the age of twenty-three, he was one of the youngest presidential speechwriters in American history. Elijah has a deep interest in history, constitutional law, and civil rights. As an aspiring law professor and civil rights lawyer, he hopes to use his time in law school to learn more about how scholarship, legal advocacy, and storytelling can be used to fight for the disregarded, disenfranchised, and condemned. Elijah hails from Compton, California in South Los Angeles, a place his family has called home for generations. He loves singing, reading, attending church, and hanging out with friends.

Carson Eckhard is pursuing a PhD in history at Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, and a JD at Stanford Law School as a Knight Hennessy Scholar. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in history and English. Named a University Scholar and a Dean’s Scholar, Carson won the Rosengarten Prize for the most outstanding honors thesis in History and the Samuel Huntington Award for Public Service. As a Marshall Scholar, Carson received an MSc in Economic and Social History at the University of Edinburgh, where she received the Peter Parish Dissertation Prize, and an MPhil in American History at the University of Cambridge, where she was a Prize Fellow at the Centre for History and Economics. Following graduation, Carson served as a founding board member and Vice Chair of The Liberation Foundation (TLF), a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that supports incarcerated Pennsylvanians. A winner of the Penn President’s Engagement Prize, Carson’s work with TLF included working with a small team to establish Project HOPE, a reentry preparation program for currently incarcerated men and women, and advocating for Pennsylvanians with wrongful conviction claims. TLF’s first client returned home in 2021 following 24 years of wrongful imprisonment, and to date, Project HOPE has served more than 300 incarcerated Pennsylvanians across three prisons. In addition to her work with TLF, Carson has also worked as the Supreme Court practice assistant at McDermott Will & Emery LLP in Washington, DC, where she worked on pro bono appellate matters. After law school, Carson hopes to combine her advocacy experience and legal history training with her passion for public service. Carson is also the Co-Director of Vote That Jawn, a youth voting initiative that encourages young people across Philadelphia to get to the polls and speak up about the causes that matter most to them. Carson is originally from Tampa, Florida. In her spare time, she enjoys running, yoga, hiking, and cooking with friends.

Carlee Goldberg is a JD candidate at Harvard Law School. She received a BA in Political Science and History with distinction from Duke University as an AB Duke Scholar, with a focus in gun violence prevention. She is also the recipient of the Truman and Nakayama Scholarships for leadership and public service. Following her undergraduate studies, she earned an MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation at the University of Oxford as a Rotary Global Grant scholar, where she studied community-based violence interruption programs. Carlee’s research centers on violence prevention and civic engagement. She has studied gun violence from multiple disciplines, including with the Duke Center for Firearms and the Duke Medical School through the Juvenile Delinquents and Adult Gun Laws Study.  She has also researched gun violence internationally with the International Action Network on Small Arms and the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs. Carlee served as the Director for the Triangle Debate League, an organization aimed at increasing access to speech and debate opportunities in the Triangle area. She has also worked with the Dispute Resolution Service at the World Bank and now serves as a special assistant in the U.S. Department of Commerce. After law school, Carlee will forward gun violence prevention through both research and legal practice, working to develop and support community-led solutions to reducing violence. Carlee is from Parkland, FL. She enjoys painting, historical preservation of medieval castles, and musical theatre. Carlee is also an avid Marvel fan and has published chapters on the politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Brenda Cachay Gutiérrez is a JD Candidate at Yale Law School. She is interested in public interest law, especially as it relates to immigration and criminal justice reform. Brenda graduated from Yale College in 2021 where she studied Global Affairs and was a member of the Multidisciplinary Academic Program in Human Rights Studies. At Yale, she was awarded the Senior Capstone Prize for Excellence in Global Affairs for a collaborative memorandum commissioned by the Department of State, analyzing the impact of sanctions on humanitarian assistance. From 2021 to 2024, Brenda served as a Post-Conviction Litigation Paralegal at the Innocence Project, where she advocated for 30+ incarcerated individuals across the United States—helping overturn nine wrongful convictions and halt one execution date. Her proudest career achievements are the moments where her clients reunited with their loved ones after decades of unjust imprisonment. In the past year, Brenda has also participated in the Harris for President campaign, volunteered at the southern border, and joined the Legalization Project to mobilize legal resources for undocumented populations. She will use her law degree to continue uplifting marginalized groups. Brenda was born in Lima, Perú, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her immigrant experience—enriched by the strength of her community—has profoundly shaped her professional trajectory. In her free time, Brenda is an avid runner, reader, and caffeine enthusiast.

Shreyas Hallur is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School, where he aims to bridge community health and long-term care, particularly for autistic people. He graduated with a degree in Statistics and Public Policy from Duke University, where he was an Angier B. Duke Scholar and a Margolis Scholar in Health Policy. In 2023, he was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship to pursue graduate education in Comparative Social Policy and Sociology at the University of Oxford. Shreyas’ interest in community health and autism care began in high school, when he worked with the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center to study disparities in autism diagnosis by gender. He continued this work at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, partnering with self-advocates to design a more inclusive autism screening tool. Separately, Shreyas established a coalition of non-profits to make Phoenix-area museums more accessible for autistic visitors – an initiative that has since received over $3 million in funding from the National Science Foundation. His other work has focused on the funding and accessibility of long-term care. This journey has taken him through Arizona Medicaid, MassHealth, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most recently, Shreyas conducted an external review of Arizona Medicaid’s complaints and grievances system for autism services. In medical school, he hopes to continue building community-driven health solutions and address gaps in long-term care for families who fall through our social safety net. Originally from Phoenix, Shreyas credits his passion for autism care and community health to the mentorship he received in his home community. In his free time, he enjoys reading historical nonfiction, playing Eurogames, and hiking at night.

Carter Harms is a Master of Environmental Management candidate at the Yale School of the Environment, where he is researching policies that can build bipartisan coalitions to advance pragmatic, politically durable climate solutions. He graduated from Wheaton College (IL) with a degree in Political Science and Urban Studies, where he earned department honors and received the Doug Beers scholarship for his thesis on growing urbanization and economic development. Prior to Yale, Carter spent nearly a decade in public service, working at the intersection of public interest advocacy and state legislatures. He served as Chief of Staff to an Illinois state representative, secured an expansion to employment protections at the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and advised the Governor of Illinois on legislative affairs, playing a key role supporting the passage of the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. He also volunteered his time during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Illinois build and scale the country's third largest testing program in response to the public health emergency. Most recently, Carter led successful state-level campaigns at The Pew Charitable Trusts to modernize electric grids and expand clean energy production in Utah, Indiana, and Ohio. His work focuses on building broad, cross-ideological coalitions and translating technical policy into politically viable action. Carter’s mission is to close the gap between what is technically possible and what is politically achievable on climate, with a focus on communities that are critical to expanding the climate movement’s political reach. He believes this work requires both deeper technical expertise and trusted relationships across sectors, and he came to Yale to pursue both. Carter grew up in a conservative, evangelical community in suburban Dallas-Fort Worth. His work and life have taken him through both progressive and conservative political environments, shaping his belief that understanding and respecting different perspectives is essential to building trust and translating solutions across political divides. Outside of work and school, Carter enjoys hiking, finding deals on Facebook Marketplace, hosting dinner parties, and discovering new podcasts.

Katherine Hu is a current MD student at Stanford School of Medicine and an incoming MBA candidate at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she will focus on healthcare innovation for diverse, global communities. She is a recipient of the Knight-Hennessy and Fulbright Scholarships. Previously, Katherine graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in biomedical engineering and minors in robotics and mathematics, where she was Tau Beta Pi and a Bloomberg Scholar. Katherine’s work spans the intersection of medicine, engineering, and entrepreneurship. At JHU, she co-founded Pediafeed and Maternys—award-winning ventures focused on pediatric and maternal health—that led to multiple publications and patents in collaboration with teams from the US and Sierra Leone. Katherine also worked closely with children in the Baltimore community, creating a youth medical hackathon and an afterschool foreign language program, and served internationally as an elementary teacher in Spain. Most recently, Katherine has pioneered a partnership with Stanford Biodesign and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile to create a low-cost pediatric feeding solution, which has received major research grants and is currently in clinical trials in Chile. She is a strong health equity advocate, partnering with immigrant families to improve their use of hospital technology and empowering them to share their lived experiences through photography. Ultimately, as an aspiring physician-innovator, Katherine aims to combine clinical care and technology development to diversify medical innovation worldwide. She wants to care for vulnerable populations—especially children and immigrants—and create accessible, affordable solutions that address their needs. Katherine grew up in Davis, California as the daughter of immigrants from humble backgrounds, which shaped her commitment to service and cross-cultural connection. In her free time, she enjoys seeking out new adventures—whether discovering hidden beaches, trying unique restaurants, or exploring remote corners of the world. She also loves learning languages and creating art.

Zina Jawadi is an MBA candidate at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and recently completed her MD at the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) at UCLA. During medical school, Zina received the Premios Juventud Everyday Hero Award, Oticon Focus on People Adult Award, the David Geffen Medical Scholarship and multiple scholarships from the P.E.O. Foundation. She was honored with the Mary Louise Remy P.E.O. Scholar Award, recognizing her as one of the top P.E.O. national scholars. Prior to her medical degree, Zina earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford University. Zina was recognized by Stanford Politics as one of the Top Most Influential Undergraduates in 2018 and was inducted into the National Gold Humanism Honor Society in 2023. Zina was diagnosed with hearing loss when she was 3.5 years old and, shortly after, underwent thousands of hours of speech therapy. This experience sparked her interests in otology and innovation. She plans to leverage her background in medicine, engineering, and business to transform outcomes for people with hearing loss and disabilities. Zina is a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities, successfully helping launch a disability campus center at Stanford.  She was elected in 2019 to the Board of Directors of the Hearing Loss Association of America, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization serving people with hearing loss. Previously, she served as a trustee (2013-2019), secretary, vice president, and president (2015-2019) of the Hearing Loss Association of America, California State Association. Zina is a proud Iraqi American. She enjoys public speaking and was a national oratory finalist in high school. In her free time, Zina loves traveling, exploring Yemeni coffee shops, and meeting friends.

Sydney Johnson is an MPP candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, where she plans to study social policy relating to matters of health care and economic inequality. She received a BA from the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 2021. Her policy areas of study were Race, Ethnicity & Discrimination, and Poverty & Inequality, and her thesis evaluated proposed policy solutions to substance use disorder in the United States. Sydney has worked in health care policy across the non-profit, private, and public sectors in Washington, D.C. since 2021, sharpening skills in research methodologies and advocacy. Most recently, she served as a social science research analyst in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. In their Office of Evaluation and Inspections, Sydney was the lead analyst on a congressionally requested review of vertical integration in Medicare, impacting over 50 million enrollees. At the Association for Community Affiliated Plans, where she was a Medicare Program Associate, Sydney advocated for the comprehensive care of 12.5 million beneficiaries dually-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, generating deliverables for various audiences related to ACAP’s healthcare alignment act, introduced by the House Ways and Means committee. During graduate school, Sydney hopes to deepen her understanding of policy analysis, political strategy, and the design of equitable systems that support marginalized communities. She believes an MPP will hone her leadership skills and ability to translate complex ideas into policies that people can believe in and fight for. Sydney grew up in Deptford, New Jersey. She enjoys volunteering as a Civic Leadership Fellow with the D.C. Tutoring and Mentoring Initiative and as a Non-profit Strategy Consultant with Compass Pro Bono. In her free time, Sydney likes to crochet, attend musicals, and play ultimate frisbee with friends.

Jonah Nadelmann Keller is an M.D. candidate and Twenty-First Century Scholar at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, studying the intersection of neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and global health. He graduated from Cornell University in three years with a B.A. in Computational Biology, serving as College Degree Marshal as one of the top two most academically distinguished students in his class and earning election to Phi Beta Kappa. At the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, he developed novel machine learning approaches under Dr. Fanny Elahi to understand neurovascular contributions to brain aging and neurodegeneration. His research identified the plasma proteomic signature of a rare vascular dementia syndrome (CADASIL) and investigated how inflammatory processes drive neurodegeneration through vascular and immune dysfunction. He has presented findings at international conferences and has manuscripts under review at leading journals including Nature Aging, Nature: Neuroscience, Cell, and Science Advances. His global health work spans from indigenous Kichwa communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon—studying the integration of ancestral and Western medicine—to Mongolia with the Virtue Foundation’s neurosurgery team expanding access to epilepsy surgery. These foundational experiences revealed to him that effective neurological care requires not only providing treatment but understanding patients within their complete context: their access to care, support systems, and approach to healing. As a physician, he aims to expand global neurological care by developing AI-driven tools that leverage data science while still honoring the intimate art of medicine, creating solutions that adapt treatments to optimize outcomes for each patient's specific reality. Raised in New York City in an interfaith household—his mother the daughter of a rabbi and his father a former Jesuit priest—he learned early to appreciate difference through listening deeply, a perspective he hopes to carry each day in his life as a physician. Outside medicine, he studies Spanish, works as a mentor with the college-access organization Y Tú También, and enjoys piano, chess, and basketball.

Arnav Lal is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School, where he plans to study infectious disease through genomics and computational biology. He graduated summa cum laude, majoring in biophysics, biology, and philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. At Penn, he was a University Scholar, a College Dean’s Scholar, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and received the Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Challenge Award. He attended the University of Cambridge as a Churchill Scholar, where he conducted research at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute for the master’s program in Biological Sciences. Arnav has developed multiple algorithms for sorting, visualizing, and analyzing microbial genomes both during his undergraduate research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and more recently at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. He recently helped lead the creation and implementation of a portable microbial sequencing project in the Galápagos islands that surveyed microbial evolution and antimicrobial resistance in a port town within the archipelago. He has a broad range of teaching experience, serving as a teaching assistant for seven courses across biology, physics, and philosophy, and a philosophy mentor at Philadelphia high schools. Following graduate training, Arnav aspires to develop microbial genomic approaches that are implemented at a patient or population level, using computational approaches to predict bacterial characteristics such as antibiotic resistance to generate more targeted and accurate healthcare responses. Arnav grew up in Greer, SC. He spends his free time playing sports including soccer, ultimate frisbee, and taekwondo. He is developing an increasing interest in nature photography.

Benjamin Lalani is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School with interests in medicine, technology, and global health. He earned his BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Johns Hopkins University, graduating with general and departmental honors. Before college, Ben founded Pump Avenue Foundation, a medical device redistribution program to expand access to insulin pump therapy for underinsured patients in his hometown. He has since grown Pump Avenue into a global 501(c)(3) nonprofit, repurposing insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors for over 130 patients across seven U.S. states and in Tanzania, Somalia, and India. Through Pump Avenue, Ben has aided in the implementation of insulin pump programs in 4 rural and urban hospitals internationally, leading staff training, patient onboarding, and equipment delivery. Ben’s research focuses on artificial intelligence, digital health, and clinical decision support. He has co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts and has given presentations at national conferences hosted by the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Technology Society, American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, and Endocrine Society. His work includes lead roles in evaluating a dynamic insulin dosing calculator for hospitalized patients and conducting a Phase 3 randomized trial comparing AI versus human coaching for diabetes prevention. He has also worked in strategy consulting at ClearView Healthcare Partners, advising Fortune 500 and early-stage life sciences companies on product development, pricing, and launch strategies. As a physician-innovator, Ben aims to forge academic-industry collaborations and lead the development, evaluation, and global delivery of medical technologies. Ben grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, and attended The Thacher School in Ojai, California, where he first learned to ride horses and developed a lasting love for the outdoors through backcountry camping trips. In his free time, he also enjoys running, playing basketball, and watching sports.

Hannah Lee is an MD candidate at Stanford School of Medicine. At Stanford, she will study health systems delivery and innovations to advance health equity. Previously, she studied Human Biology and Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California. Hannah co-founded and serves as CEO of Secure Remedy, a health equity start-up that is creating wearable tools to reduce medication theft for people experiencing homelessness. She helped raise over $70,000 for Remedy and oversaw efforts to launch pilot programs for 60 unhoused patients across three different cities in the US. During her time at the University of Southern California, she engaged in outreach work and served as Director of Operations for Trojan Shelter, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides temporary housing and wraparound services for USC students experiencing homelessness. She is currently working with a health technology company contracted with the California Department of Health Care Services to implement state-funded health equity projects. After medical school, Hannah aspires to be a physician who combines clinical medicine, human-centered design, advocacy, and entrepreneurship to advance more equitable and efficient healthcare delivery nationally and globally. She hopes that leveraging her clinical experiences and insights will allow her to better advocate for health interventions and innovations on behalf of patients. Hannah is from San Jose, California. She enjoys spending her free time in nature, running, and reading. She also enjoys trying new foods and most recently has been fascinated by tea cultures around the world.

Isaac Longobardi is pursuing an MD at Stanford School of Medicine. He received his bachelor’s degree in social anthropology from Harvard College (magna cum laude). At Harvard, he was an Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics Undergraduate Fellow, and his senior thesis—a first-hand ethnographic study of home health care in the United States—received both the Hoopes Prize and the Bowdoin Prize for Undergraduate Essay in the English Language. Isaac is focused on transforming long-term care services and delivery models to better support individuals with frailty, chronic illness, and mental and behavioral health conditions, as well as the communities in which they live. From 2022 to 2025, with funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation, he helped launch and served as director of the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition. The national initiative brings together representative nursing home stakeholders to advance recommendations from The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality, a landmark report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Prior to that, he piloted multigenerational living (residing in an independent senior living community) while working as youth and community engagement coordinator at Hebrew SeniorLife, a Boston-based elder services nonprofit. Isaac’s writing and speaking on aging and long-term care includes a Substack on his experience in multigenerational living, as well as multiple co-authored policy publications and national conference presentations. He grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and New York City, where early volunteer work with organizations like Goddard Riverside, Henry Street Settlement, and NYC’s Department for the Aging shaped his commitment to care-centered public service. He enjoys running, cooking, and exploring the arts (from opera to film to creative nonfiction).

Dianelis Lopez is an MD candidate at the Stanford School of Medicine where she will study the intersection of medicine, public policy, and global health. She is a recipient of the Amgen Scholarship, Fulbright Fellowship, and Benjamin Trustman Fellowship. Dianelis graduated from Harvard College with a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a minor in Romance Languages and Literatures. As an undergraduate, she received a Certificate in Latin American Studies recognizing her global health research and community service involvement in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She also conducted HIV research at the Núcleo de Pesquisa em Direitos Humanos e Saúde and CAR-NK cell research at the Ragon Institute. Dianelis was born in Lawton, Cuba, and immigrated to the United States at ten years old. Her experience growing up in a humble home and navigating welfare programs sparked an interest in how public policy impacts a person’s well-being. Before starting college, she traveled to Cuba to donate school supplies to the students from the middle school she attended as a child. This shaped her understanding of nonprofit work and the importance of democratizing education when enacting social change globally. As a physician-advocate, Dianelis aspires to expand medical coverage and make healthcare more accessible to immigrant and underserved populations. In her free time, Dianelis enjoys participating in CrossFit classes, cooking with family, and planning spontaneous trips.

Claudia Pagon Marchena is a JD candidate at Yale Law School. She graduated summa cum laude from Florida International University, where she majored in economics. After graduation, Claudia started her public policy career with the office of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and later transitioned to the office of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14). In this capacity, she served as the Congresswoman’s principal advisor on economic policy, the federal financial regulatory apparatus, Puerto Rico, and housing. She oversaw the introduction of visionary, progressive legislation, and secured millions of dollars through the appropriations process for environmental cleanup, postal banking pilot programs, and public health campaigns. Claudia is passionate about creating a more equitable financial system for working-class families. During the pandemic, she introduced a suite of proposals that sought to ensure that any corporation receiving federal funds kept workers employed at living wages. She also contributed to efforts to launch the Emergency Rental Assistance program, which deployed billions of dollars to working families during the pandemic. Finally, she served as the primary lead on a campaign to provide debt relief options to constituents affected by the collapse of the taxi medallion market in New York City. In 2020, Claudia was profiled by Forbes for her work. She currently serves as a political appointee of the Biden-Harris Administration at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where she advises senior officials on congressional engagement. She also leads agency efforts to provide Congress with technical assistance on a range of proposals it is considering. Claudia was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and is an avid podcast listener, barre enthusiast, and amateur cook.

Nick Maxwell is a JD candidate at Yale Law School. He received his AB in Social Studies from Harvard College in 2022 (Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa), where his studies focused on American legal and political institutions. While at Harvard, he was awarded a fellowship from the Liman Center for Public Interest Law at Yale Law School. After graduating from Harvard, Nick attended Tsinghua University in Beijing as a Schwarzman Scholar and completed a Master’s in Global Affairs in 2023. In 2024, Nick graduated from the University of Oxford with an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice, where he studied on a scholarship from Christ Church College. Nick has extensive experience in drug policy and public interest legal work. He has lobbied the Ohio Legislature for changes to the state’s 911 Good Samaritan Law, conducted original research on Ohio’s Medical Marijuana program that was published by Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, and worked on several legal challenges to the distribution of Ohio’s $1.1 billion in opioid settlement funds. Additionally, during the summer of 2021, he organized a series of second-chance legal clinics in several underserved areas of Ohio. Nick’s desire to pursue a JD stems from his direct observations of the powerful ways in which law shapes society and drives change. He hopes his legal education will prepare him for public service at the highest levels of the United States government. Nick is from a small town of 5,000 people in central Ohio. His childhood experiences helped spark his interest in the opioid epidemic and shaped his passion for working for those in overlooked communities. He enjoys hiking, loves dogs, and is an avid poker and chess player.

Aditya Narayan is MD/MBA candidate at Stanford University with an interest in addiction medicine and health systems leadership. He graduated from the University of Virginia (UVA) with degrees in Chemistry and Biology. Aditya is a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University. Inspired by his mother, a part-time music teacher, at UVA, he co-founded ReinventED Lab, a non-profit that pioneered student-driven educational reforms. At the same time, his interest in mental health, social drivers of health inequity, and the sciences led him to medicine. His work as a peer health educator and volunteer firefighter deepened his commitment to serving vulnerable populations, and following graduation, he pursued a range of opportunities in non-profit, for-profit, and government roles. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach at the University of Łódź in Poland, where he designed and evaluated courses on scientific and patient communication. Subsequently, he served as a Data and Training Manager for the Virginia Department of Social Services, creating training programs around substance use disorders. Throughout his time in Virginia, he supported the development of harm-reduction networks, expanding access to services through the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition and developing digital health tools to support access to medications for opioid use disorder. At Stanford, Aditya has continued to develop academic-community partnerships through the Stanford Housing Equity Project and the Education Justice Academy, while working nationally on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Medical Colleges to advance medical education innovation. His current research interests span health policy, technology adoption, and epidemiology.

Joanna Papadakis is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School and holds a B.S. from Cornell University. While at Cornell, she participated in global child health research, became certified as an EMT in wilderness and austere medicine, and served as a Cornell Tradition Fellow and Patient Advocate, which sparked her interest in pursuing a career in medicine in the service of others. To this end, she also pursued an Engaged Leadership certificate at Cornell, received a Davis Projects for Peace grant to work in maternal refugee health after college, and was awarded the Robinson Appel Humanitarian Grant for her work as a founding member of Preemie-to-Premed, a nonprofit supporting Child Life Programs during pandemic-related funding restrictions. Upon graduation, she was also honored with the Cornell Campus Leadership Award for her contributions to community mental health and emergency preparedness in Tompkins County. After college, Joanna joined Boston Children’s Hospital as a researcher in pediatric neurosurgery to further her work in resolving pediatric healthcare disparities, where she co-authored over 15 publications and 25+ presentations at national and international neurosurgical conferences. Through this work, she also became heavily involved in global neurosurgical capacity building, leading her to join the nonprofit NeuroKids, where she focused on strengthening pediatric neurosurgical care for children with hydrocephalus and spina bifida, conditions which disproportionately affect families living in poverty in some of the most resource-poor communities across the world. Outside of her neurosurgical work, she continued her advocacy through volunteering in maternal refugee health and literacy and supporting long-term patients across a few hospitals in Boston and North Carolina. Through this work, Joanna has become deeply passionate about global health equity and resource-limited medicine, with a particular focus on improving rural maternal-child health outcomes. She believes in building healthcare capacity from within local systems and forming sustainable partnerships that strengthen healthcare workforces and improve access to high-quality care. And yet, as an aspiring physician, Joanna hopes to not only become a leader in strengthening rural and global health systems, but to also become a provider working within these settings to deliver such care. To Joanna, healthcare should be a fundamental human right, and she is dedicated to making a lasting impact on society and the communities she serves by vowing to provide nothing less across all her involvements. Joanna grew up in New Hampshire as one of three – she’s a triplet! Being part of a large Greek immigrant family and growing up alongside her two sisters, including one who faced many medical complexities in childhood, helped shape her early interest in global health and pediatrics. In her free time, Joanna is happiest when surrounded by nature or spending quality time with family and friends. An adventurer at heart, she can almost always be found exploring the outdoors, whether hiking, bike-packing, kayaking, or trail running!

Kaley Pillinger is a JD/MBA candidate, commencing at Yale Law School, and then Stanford School of Business. She graduated from Yale University Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude with a BA in Economics, with distinction, and a BA and MA in History, with distinction. At Yale, she was awarded the John Addison Porter Prize in American History for her senior essay on the use of green space during urban crises and Phi Alpha Theta history honors. She was editor-in-chief of the Yale Politic and served as a Dwight Hall Urban Fellow. Kaley's career focuses on providing affordable housing and generating equitable urban ecosystems across both the public and private sectors. Since graduating from Yale, Kaley has worked in real estate finance and development, first at Blackstone, and subsequently for Fairstead, a national purpose-driven affordable housing developer. At Fairstead, Kaley's work included a $600M+ transaction to bring comprehensive renovations to an 87-building, 3400+-resident portfolio in Brooklyn, which won Fannie Mae's 2023 Deal of the Year. She has worked for government offices and on campaigns on the local, state, and federal level – most recently as Get Out the Vote Director for Mark Levine's successful Manhattan Borough President race, managing a 1,000-volunteer operation to elect a candidate who now serves 1.7 million New Yorkers. In graduate school and beyond, Kaley plans to continue work in the affordable housing field, using new skills from the JD/MBA to bridge business principles and legal structure in service of more efficient, environmentally sustainable, and human-oriented housing finance and development. Kaley is from New York, NY. She is an avid runner and reader and enjoys all of the classic New York pastimes – walking too long, talking too fast, and eating too many bagels.

Daniel Plaisance is an MPP candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he is focused on the intersection of science and technology policy with economic and urban development. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University in 2019 with degrees in Urban Studies and Economics. Daniel is passionate about building more equitable, sustainable, and resilient regional economies in the United States and around the world, especially in the places most vulnerable to economic disruption and automation. Daniel is most proud of his achievements with Tulsa Innovation Labs (TIL), a philanthropic economic development organization based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this role, Daniel developed and oversaw a portfolio of programs designed to diversify the Tulsa region’s economy and workers away from an over-reliance on the oil and gas industry. Daniel’s work led to the Tulsa region winning the Build Back Better Regional Challenge and Tech Hubs program, the US Department of Commerce’s two most high-profile economic development competitions, resulting in more than $100 million direct funding for programs in Tulsa. Prior to joining TIL, Daniel worked on economic and workforce development initiatives in New York City and Providence, Rhode Island and on political campaigns. Daniel grew up in Nyack, a small village in the Hudson Valley of New York. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, cooking, reading, photography, and watching soccer.

Alex Posner is a JD candidate at Yale Law School, where he is focused on climate and energy policy and pathways to renewing bipartisanship in the United States. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale College with a degree, with distinction, in History. He was one of thirteen juniors in his class elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Alex is the co-founder and president of the Climate Solutions Fund (CSF), a nonprofit organization working to build bipartisan support for ambitious decarbonization policy. CSF works across policy development, coalition-building and advocacy, and strategic philanthropy. He previously launched Students for Carbon Dividends (S4CD). Co-founded by more than 100 campus organizations from across the country (including 50+ conservative groups and 50+ liberal and environmental groups), S4CD marked the first time a bipartisan student coalition has united around a national climate plan. He was also part of the organizing team for the “Economists Statement on Carbon Dividends,” which appeared as an editorial in The Wall Street Journal. Signed by more than 3,500 US economists, including 28 Nobel laureates, it is the largest statement of economists in the history of the profession. Alex is originally from New York City. He loves documentaries, space exploration, and the art of magic. He served as president of the Yale Magic Society (Yale’s most secretive society) and is a longtime volunteer with the organization Magicians Without Borders.

Alexandra Potter is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School. She is particularly interested in thoracic surgery and thoracic oncology. She received a BS in bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Alexandra’s primary focus has been leading efforts to increase access to lung cancer screening through community outreach, advocacy, and research. She is the founder and President of the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to increasing lung cancer screening awareness and access. Alexandra leads a team of over 700 high school, undergraduate, and medical students on grassroots community outreach and advocacy efforts to improve access to lung cancer screening. Her work was recognized with the 2021 University of California Berkeley Chancellor’s Award for Public Service. Additionally, in 2023, Alexandra received a Samuel Huntington Public Service Award to support her efforts to increase lung cancer screening access in underserved communities. Alexandra has also published over 45 original investigations, including first-authored research studies in JAMA, the British Medical Journal, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and JAMA Oncology. In recognition of her research, she has received numerous awards, including an International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Early Career Award and J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Award for the Best Paper in Thoracic Surgery at the 2025 Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting. Alexandra aspires to become a thoracic surgeon and an international leader in lung cancer screening research. She also envisions expanding her non-profit, ALCSI, into a global movement that unites tens of thousands of students and doctors across the world in efforts to increase lung cancer screening access. Alexandra grew up in a military family and spent most of her childhood in Dupont, WA. In her free time, she enjoys running, skiing, and wakeboarding. She also loves to travel.

Faraan Rahim is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School interested in the intersection of medicine, business, and global health. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duke University, where he studied Chemistry and Global Health. At Duke, Faraan was awarded the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to study Swahili in Arusha, Tanzania. Faraan is dedicated to advancing healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. He first developed this mission during a DukeEngage-funded service project in Cape Coast, Ghana, where he collaborated with local students to promote health literacy among Ghanaian auto mechanics. Fluent in Swahili, he has also spent three years conducting research in Tanzania, focusing on projects like strengthening heart attack care in African emergency departments and addressing cardiovascular co-morbidities among people living with HIV. Faraan’s dedication to global health has driven him to expand his work throughout sub-Saharan Africa. He is the Founder and CEO of GHSEN Global Research, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and international research network connecting health leaders across the United States and African countries such as Tanzania, Congo, and Ethiopia. Under his leadership, GHSEN disseminates evidence-based strategies to strengthen global health systems, publishing its work in over 40 articles in medical journals such as BMJ and Nature Medicine. The organization has also raised more than $25,000 in support of its initiatives, including a $10,000 grant from U.S. Global Ties to launch AfyaVision—a medically-focused English language program equipping Kilimanjaro school students with the language skills to become future Tanzanian healthcare leaders. Faraan grew up in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. He discovered his passion for medicine through five years of 911 service as an EMT and developed it further as the Personnel & Field Training Officer of Duke University EMS. In his free time, Faraan enjoys high-intensity interval training, exploring cities, and trying new restaurants.

Akhil Rajan is a JD candidate at Yale Law School. He holds a BA and MA in Political Science from Yale, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and an MSc with distinction in Comparative Social Policy from Oxford, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar. At Yale, he was awarded the John Addison Porter Prize and the Frank Minor Patterson Prize for his senior essay examining the consequences of redistricting on substantive and descriptive representation. He was also Co-President of the Undergraduate Legal Aid Association, on the Executive Committee of the center for social justice and public service, and worked as a fellow for former Secretary of State John Kerry. Akhil’s career has focused on policy initiatives that diminish spatial inequality and advance economic mobility for all Americans. Most recently, he was the Director of Implementation Policy in the Biden-Harris White House Chief of Staff’s office, where he helped execute on the President’s ~$3 trillion Investing in America agenda and respond to crises like the collapse of the Baltimore Bridge and outbreak of H5N1 Avian Flu. Before that, he worked as a Policy Advisor on the White House Infrastructure Implementation Team, at the Department of Agriculture, and on campaigns at the state, local, and presidential level. Akhil grew up in Chicago, IL. He enjoys hiking, architecture, pasta-making, and polishing up his extremely confusing script for a romcom-psychothriller.

Brian Reyes is a JD candidate at Yale Law School where he plans to study the law’s relationship to economic policy. He received a BA in History from Yale University, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and master's degrees in social policy and U.S. History from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Most recently, Brian worked on financial regulatory issues as a congressional fellow and staffer. He has also provided technical assistance on community and economic development strategies, conducted and presented historical research on race and economic inequality, and written reports and newsletter columns on related issues. He will use his law degree to shape policies fostering dignity and economic empowerment. Brian grew up between East Harlem and the Bronx in New York City in a Dominican-American family. He enjoys running, making coffee, and from time to time playing a pickup game of ultimate frisbee or soccer.

Elina Rodriguez is a Masters in City Planning candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) with a focus on housing, community, and economic development. As a 2019 Robertson Leadership Scholar at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a certificate in Human Rights from Duke University’s Franklin Humanities Institute. As a community organizer, policy strategist, and advocate, Elina is proud to work alongside communities building power for themselves to live in safety, security, and dignity. As Senior Manager of Advocacy and Organizing at the Community Economic Defense Project, she organized the working-class, multi-generational, multi-sector coalition and campaign to secure $59.1 million in funding across state and local levels for rental assistance in Colorado in 2023. Currently, she serves as a member on the board of Denver Metro Tenants Union, the prominent tenants association in the Denver metro area, and on the board of Pro Housing Partnership, the tenants association in Colorado Springs. Her desire to pursue her MSP at DUSP was born out of her experience in social services and housing advocacy, particularly in her work with tenants combating eviction, inhabitable living conditions, and economic predation. She is determined to pursue a career in urban studies and planning with a focus on housing policy to address the severe failures of the housing stability infrastructure she’s lived and worked in, and to add to the work being done to dismantle structural inequalities that imperil marginalized people. Originally from Florida (with deep love for North Carolina), Elina grew up in a Jewish-Cuban-American household enmeshed in a deep sense of community. An avid reader and cook, she has spent the last five years living in Colorado and is excited to find new volleyball, salsa dancing, and jazz (listening) opportunities in Boston.

Geo Saba is returning to Stanford University as a JD Candidate at Stanford Law School and an MBA Candidate at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In 2015, he earned his BA from Stanford University with honors in International Security Studies where he was on the varsity baseball team, graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and was a research assistant for former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He then earned his MPhil in International Relations and Politics at Cambridge University as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Geo was previously Chief of Staff for Congressman Ro Khanna. Before that, he was the Congressman’s legislative director and national security advisor. As Chief of Staff, Geo oversaw the 17-person office and managed a $2 million budget for the office. The office won the Congressional Management Foundation’s Best Workplace in Congress award. Geo represented the congressman overseas on numerous delegations and helped him pass six bills into law. Most notably, he helped spearhead the congressman’s work on the Yemen War Powers Resolution and Chips and Science Act. Geo also has looked to find ways to work across the aisle, including penning an op-ed in Newsweek about how he lived with Republican leadership staffers on the Hill despite being a Democrat’s Chief of Staff. Geo is a Council on Foreign Relations Term Member, was an Aspen Strategy Group Rising Leader, Schmidt Futures ISF Fellow, CNAS Next Gen Fellow, New America MENA Next Generation Leader, on the CSIS National Security & Foreign Affairs Top 50 Leadership List, and a Middle East Policy Council 40 Under 40 awardee. Geo grew up in San Mateo, California. He is of Lebanese and Azorean ancestry and enjoys traveling, reading, playing chess, and playing sports. In high school, he participated in competitive eating competitions but has since retired.

Isaac Sebenius is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School in the joint Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST) program, focusing on psychiatry and neuroscience. He previously completed a PhD in Psychiatry and an MPhil in Computer Science at the University of Cambridge as a Gates-Cambridge and Herchel Smith Scholar. He earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard College (Summa Cum Laude), where he studied molecular biology and computer science. As a researcher, he develops computational tools to understand the brain signatures of mental illness and has led large-scale international collaborations in psychiatric neuroimaging. His work has been featured in venues including Nature Neuroscience, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, and AISTATS, and his methods are used by dozens of research teams around the world to study the biology of psychiatric disorders and neurodevelopment. Equally committed to impact beyond academia, Isaac has worked as a Fellow for ARTIS Ventures to find and support novel technologies and therapeutics in health and life sciences, with a focus on AI and brain-related disorders. Additionally, as a science communicator, he has written data-driven articles on science-related topics for popular news outlets including Vox, STAT, and The Times. As a physician-scientist, Isaac aspires to bridge research with clinical practice to work towards a future where psychiatric care is biologically-grounded, evidence-based, compassionate, and accessible. Originally from Cambridge, MA, Isaac spent five years in the UK and is now reacclimating to Boston winters. He loves running races in new cities, making experimental music with friends, and listening to audiobooks on long walks.

Clara is a JD Candidate at Yale Law School. She is interested in refugee response and resettlement, humanitarian law, and legal academia. Clara graduated in 2023 from Wellesley College summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa where she studied Philosophy and Peace and Justice Studies with a concentration in Migration, Human Rights, and Law. At Wellesley, Clara was a Project for Peace Fellow, a Madeleine Korbel Albright Fellow, a Jerome Schiff Fellow, and a United Nations Women in Peacebuilding Trainee. Prior to college, Clara spent a year working in refugee camps in Greece. She has continued to be involved in refugee support in Greece, spending the last four years as the Executive Director of REFUGYM, an NGO addressing violence and trauma in refugee camps through community led sports. A trained grant writer, Clara has independently generated over $60,000 in direct funding for refugee communities. Clara has engaged in domestic refugee resettlement efforts, preparing immigration applications to USCIS with the International Rescue Committee and logistics coordinating for Operation Allies Welcome, the State Department evacuation of Afghan SIV holders. Clara hopes to use her legal education to strengthen a shared global responsibility for climate-driven refugees and to explore new spheres of public interest law. A native of rural Virginia, Clara enjoys ceramics, cooking, and backpacking.

Paul Soden is an MD candidate at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania as a 21st Century Scholar, where he hopes to explore the intersection of neuroscience, maternal/child health, and public health. Paul graduated as a Merrill Presidential Scholar from Cornell University with a BS in Human Biology, Health, and Society. He was awarded the Robinson Award, the Ruthanna Wood David Award, and the Frank and Rosa Rhodes Scholarship. Paul hopes to spend his career as a clinician, researcher, and advocate working to make sure all neurodivergent children and their families feel well-supported by the healthcare system. In college, he developed a neural model for understanding crisis behaviors (colloquially, ‘meltdowns’) in children with autism. He plans to continue this work at Penn with the ultimate goal of developing a meltdown-prevention therapy. Paul also developed several new technologies to study cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), including a microfluidic model of CSF dynamics. He hopes to use these tools to help work toward a non-surgical therapy for hydrocephalus—a disease where CSF accumulates in the brain. Beyond research, Paul is passionate about education. In 2019, he co-founded a health education nonprofit, Community HealthEd, which has grown into a network of students across the country who work together to promote health literacy in their communities. He also worked at the New York Institute for Special Education in college and hopes to advance models of care that better support children with disabilities by promoting direct collaboration between teachers and physicians. Paul is also a passionate advocate for maternal health and volunteers as a birth doula. He hopes to further study the benefits of doula support and advocate for Medicaid reimbursement of doula services. Paul is from Rye Brook, NY. He enjoys spending his free time hiking, running, and exploring new restaurants with friends.

Kashyap Sreeram is an MD-PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where he hopes to explore the intersection of molecular aging, neurodegeneration, and technological innovation. Kashyap graduated from Duke University (Phi Beta Kappa) with a self-designed interdisciplinary major titled “Computational Neurogenetics in Practice.” Kashyap is dedicated to improving and restoring the quality of life for the elderly population. Inspired by his grandfather’s battle with Parkinson’s Disease, Kashyap has conducted significant research into uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders, resulting in numerous high-impact publications. Central to Kashyap’s vision is the transformative role of technology in addressing these complex healthcare challenges. At Duke, he was a Data Engineer at KORA, a startup developing artificial intelligence solutions aimed at improving efficiency in the operating room, and continued to expand this impact as a co-founder of the Duke Innovation Studio student startup accelerator. In addition to research, Kashyap is equally passionate about advocacy and understanding the “illness experience.” In 2022, Kashyap led efforts to confront stigma and improve public understanding of Sickle Cell Disease in Kalangala, Uganda, by integrating culturally rooted practices with education. He also dedicated significant time as a patient advocate with Duke Neurology and served on the Global Patient and Family Advisory Council to create more effective models of care for individuals living with dementia. By developing comprehensive solutions, Kashyap aims to be a leader in supporting aging populations worldwide. Kashyap is originally from Orlando, Florida. Outside of his academic interests, Kashyap loves to sing, hike, and eat his way through new cities.

Brian Wee is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School, with a focus on health policy and international health governance. He graduated from Harvard College with highest honors, earning a double A.B. in Chemical and Physical Biology and Government, with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. As a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, Brian completed a Master of Public Policy and an MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy. Brian’s work spans the local and international in medicine and health policy. As an undergraduate, he founded the World Pre-Health Conference, an annual event convening over 3,300 attendees from more than 100 countries to advance health. He conducted research on infectious disease diagnostics and epidemiology in the lab of Pardis Sabeti and served as Co-President of the Harvard Pre-Medical Society and the Harvard Undergraduate Global Health Forum. He was also a director of the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter — helping it win Harvard’s Student Organization of the Year Award — and led a tutoring program supporting recent immigrants and refugees throughout Greater Boston. At Oxford, Brian served as a student representative for Global Governance and Diplomacy and conducted research on health reforms, collaborating with experts from the World Health Organization and the governments of Mexico and Paraguay. Looking ahead, Brian aims to integrate science, governance, and public policy to strengthen systems of care and accountability worldwide. As a future physician-policymaker, he hopes to reimagine how institutions support population health, empower changemakers at every level, and foster cooperation across borders to better serve individuals and communities. Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado as the son of two immigrants from South Korea, Brian enjoys hiking, squash, learning languages, and reading. He also takes on monthly lifestyle challenges — from veganism and cold showers to long-distance walking — and enjoys cooking with friends.