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.