Arun Dixit is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Health Policy and Economics at Weill Cornell Medicine. Prior to Cornell, he graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Economy. He aspires to pursue a career in healthcare law and advocate for individuals struggling to navigate the healthcare system. This summer, he is working with CHPC Policy Director Lindsey Vuolo to research policies to support mental health and substance use prevention.  

“The opportunity to inform decision-making that has potential to improve population health outcomes and address longstanding inequities in the healthcare system motivates me to pursue health policy work/research.”

Chaoran Gu is a pursuing a Master of Science degree in Health Policy and Economics at Weill Cornell Medicine. She holds an undergraduate degree in Finance from The University of Nottingham Ningbo China and aspires to pursue a career at the intersection of research and real-world decision making. This summer, she is working with Dr. Yasin Civelek to examine healthcare consolidation and helping extend a national health system database while researching how mergers affect healthcare prices and quality.

“The gap usually isn’t about buildings or equipment; it’s about how care gets paid for, how the system is set up, and whether policies hold up once they leave the page. Those are things that can actually be designed better, and that’s the work I want to be part of.”

Matthew Harrington studied Economics at Dickinson College and is currently a student at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. He plans to pursue an M.D. and/or Ph.D. in the future, with the goal of practicing medicine while also teaching and mentoring aspiring researchers. This summer, he is developing a hepatitis C virus (HCV) index to better understand where universal HCV screening should be targeted, under the mentorship of CHPC Core Faculty Fellow Angélica Meinhofer, Ph.D., and CHPC Affiliate Faculty Fellow Shashi Kapadia, M.D., M.S. 

“I am excited to learn how to further improve my research, technical writing, and presentation skills during my internship with the Cornell Health Policy Center.” 

Monica Manescu is a student at Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy studying Health Care Policy with a minor in Law & Society. In the future, she plans to pursue a JD and a career in healthcare law, where she hopes to advance justice for individual clients while helping shape evidence-based policies that drive systemic reform. This summer, she is working with CHPC Policy Director Lindsey Vuolo to support CHPC’s Era of the Child Initiative and conduct research on expanding pediatric specialty care access in Medicaid managed care. As a CHPC Impact intern, she is also contributing to research and policy dissemination efforts. 

“Through my work with CHPC, I am excited to deepen my understanding of contracts as a vehicle for change and accountability in healthcare systems, as well as strategies for driving effective research-to-policy translation.”

Zoe McCrae recently graduated from the University of Miami with an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences and minors in Public Health and Biology. She is an aspiring physician interested in the intersection of health literacy, healthcare access, and patient outcomes. This summer, she is working with Dr. Amy Bond on a research project examining how health literacy influences health outcomes across income, racial, and ethnic groups. 

“I wish to be able to empathize with my patients’ circumstances, education level, and understanding of the healthcare system. Pursuing a research project that emphasizes patients’ medical education and how their background dictates their healthcare experience will allow me to be a more understanding healthcare professional who prioritizes my patients’ needs.”

Tanirika Choudhry is a rising junior in Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy studying Health Care Policy. Through experiences in clinical settings, public health initiatives, and legislative advocacy, she has developed a particular interest in addiction medicine and how policy can support prevention, treatment, and recovery across healthcare settings. This summer, she is working with Dr. Beth McGinty on a project examining Peer Support Services and the state policy environments that influence facilities offering these services, as well as researching how Medicaid policies affect the coverage and availability of PSS across states. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine while gaining a better understanding of how evidence can inform policies that improve patient care and health outcomes. 

“Health policy research allows me to dive deeper into the issues that matter most to me and explore evidence-based solutions to complex healthcare challenges.”

Sandhya Rajagopalan is a student in the M.S. in Health Policy and Economics program at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. With an undergraduate background in Economics and Political Science, she is interested in using health economics research to understand how health policies shape long-term outcomes for children and families. Following the program, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Health Economics and continue conducting research in this field. This summer, she is working with Dr. Maria Fitzpatrick on projects related to child health outcomes and educational attainment, including collaborations with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of School Health to analyze the impacts of NYC-specific policies on children. 

“I’m passionate about conducting research that identifies opportunities for improvement and supports policies that strengthen long-term health and economic outcomes.”

Anna Rashkover is a student in the M.S. in Health Policy and Economics program at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Her research interests focus on healthcare privatization, market failures, and the economics of healthcare markets, particularly the effects of provider and insurer consolidation on competition, access, and costs. In the future, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Health Policy or Health Services Research with a concentration in economics. This summer, she is working with Dr. William Schpero on a Medicaid data project, helping clean and organize CMS-64 expenditure reports for future Medicaid spending analyses. 

“I’m particularly excited to strengthen my Stata coding skills and learn more about CMS-64 data, which is an underutilized source with significant potential for Medicaid spending research.”

Sadhana Sridhar is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Health Policy and Economics at Weill Cornell Medicine. She graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Economics and aspires to pursue a career that combines medicine with economics research on healthcare delivery and policy. This summer, she is working with Dr. Beth McGinty and conducting a landscape analysis of venture-capital backed substance use disorder companies and studying how investment trends influence healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. 

“Before pursuing my masters, I worked in investment banking where I observed trends such as private equity’s increasing involvement in the healthcare sector and became interested to learn how this trend affects healthcare delivery and patient level outcomes.”

Clarice Xu is a rising sophomore at Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy studying Health Care Policy. She is interested in health policies that improve access to care, particularly by addressing barriers that make the healthcare system difficult to navigate. This summer, she is working with CHPC Policy Director Lindsey Vuolo on a research project focused on identifying policies that support mental health and substance use prevention. As a CHPC Impact intern, she is also drafting briefs to translate research and policy findings. 

“I am especially eager to learn how to translate research findings, using the new skills I’m gaining through the workshops provided by CHPC, into more synthesized briefs that help a wider audience understand the information.”

Yujun Pan is a student in the Master of Science in Health Policy and Economics program at Weill Cornell Medicine. Prior to Cornell, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Vanderbilt University. His research interests include health care access, affordability, aging, and health economics. This summer, he is researching how financial stress and housing insecurity influence health care utilization among older adults.

“I am motivated by the idea that healthcare is not only a clinical issue, but also an economic and policy issue.”

Caio Matias is originally from Kearny, NJ. He started his undergraduate degree at Essex County College prior to transferring to Yale University where he completed a bachelor’s in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He is currently a second-year medical student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. His aspirations for the future are to work as a clinician with a focus on health policy and increasing healthcare access.

“This summer, I’m looking forward to exploring how one can match a career practicing medicine with policy work and learning the intricacies of the healthcare system.”

Deborah Laguerre is a rising senior at the City College of New York, majoring in Biology with a minor in Public Policy. She aspires to become a physician with a focus on combating health disparities and improving healthcare access. Through her internship, she is researching behavioral health and addiction policy issues.

“This internship provides a holistic view of healthcare that is sometimes missed . . . learning about Medicaid and Medicare will give me perspective as a provider so I can potentially help patients access care using my own knowledge and experience.”

Shafia Akey is a 3rd year student at The City College of New York. She plans to pursue an MD/PhD in Medical Anthropology in the future to merge the humanities and science into our global health policy. She is interested in ensuring that health equity is protected and valued in all fields. Through her internship, she reviews various summaries, research, and policies to create memos that will allow the organization to reach a broad audience about various health policies.

“I’m excited about connecting health policy concepts with my real-world observations in clinical settings. Working on my research, I have learned vocabulary that puts names to experiences I have had working in urgent care.”

Lilia Mitra is originally from Sugar Land, Texas. She is a rising senior in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy studying Health Care Policy with a minor in Health Equity. In the future, she plans to pursue an MD/MPP with the goal of becoming a practicing physician and health policy advocate. Through her internship, she is contributing to website and policy content development.

“The areas of health policy that interest me the most are children and family policy and health disparities. Studying identity, bias, and their impact on healthcare outcomes is super interesting to me!”

Chinaza Munonye is a rising senior at the University of South Florida, majoring in Health Sciences with a chemistry minor. She aspires to be a dermatologist who works to alleviate dermatologic disparities within skin of color (SOC) populations. Through her internship, she is working on a project looking at the integration of addiction treatment in health systems.

“A book that had a big impact on my perspective on health policy/public health was Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight Against Medical Discrimination. It talks about the Black Panther Party’s involvement with helping underrepresented minorities access care.” 

Ezinne Okonkwo is a rising senior at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) studying Human Biology and Society with a minor in Global Health. As she graduates from UCLA and looks into the future, she hopes to obtain an MPH/MD to become a physician and a health policy researcher with an emphasis on achieving health equity among marginalized communities. Through her internship, she is conducting research about the structure of qualified health centers and their relation to primary care.

“My long-term career goal is to be an MD/MPH and become a physician with a public health research or education background. The research I’m doing at CHPC will help me build those skills for the future and see where I can have the greatest impact on the communities I hope to serve.”

Emma Chan is a rising junior at Emory University majoring in Human Health and Economics with a minor in ethics. Through her internship, she is researching Medicaid policy.

“I hope to use the knowledge I gain from this internship to deepen my understanding of how health policy is developed and implemented . . . This experience will support my long-term goal of working at the intersection of health policy and equity . . .”

Arya Devi Pelletier is a rising junior in high school at Greenwich Academy. She plans to major in Health Policy and one day become a doctor, working in public health policy, or pursue a career as a lawyer with a similar focus. Through her internship, she is working on a project in harm reduction messaging to change the way society views mental health and substance and alcohol use disorders.

“My project at CHPC is on harm reduction, media, and messaging. I am currently learning Stata through the programming workshops, so I am excited to see how that ties into harm reduction research.”

Ellora Yadav is a rising sophomore undergraduate student at Emory University where she will major in applied math/statistics and economics. With a focus on economic policy and incentive structures, she explores how game theory and strategic decision-making shape outcomes in healthcare, particularly amid increasing vertical integration in the industry. Through her internship, she is learning how to conduct health policy research and examine how economic frameworks influence real-world access, delivery, and equity in care.

“A book that has had an impact on my perspective on health policy was “The Price We Pay” – it helped me understand how misaligned incentives, through insurers, and hospital billing—distort clinical decision-making and create a system where profit often comes before patients. It aligned closely with what I’ve seen in my research on drug pricing and access.”

Ajia Morrison (she/her/hers) recently graduated from Loyola University Maryland with a B.S. in Biopsychology and a minor in African & African American Studies. She aspires to become a doctor and currently plans to take two gap years before entering medical school. Through her internship, she is researching high-risk pregnancies and telehealth.

“Through my internship, I have been learning a lot about how health insurance in the US works, including many gaps that cause many people to be uninsured and underinsured. Because health insurance is the main way people gain access to healthcare today, I know that it is one of the keys to addressing health inequity.

Ingrid Vorbrich is an incoming senior at Colgate University with a double major in Religion and Molecular Biology. She is a pre-medical student hoping to become an ObGyn in the future with a particular focus on health equity. Through her internship, she is working on the AI4HealthyCities project to help understand how social determinants of health in NYC impact people’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

“My main goal through my internship with CHPC is to better understand how public health research is conducted . . . I have begun to understand how many moving parts are involved in such a large research initiative, and I have a much better understanding on how governmental policy gravely impacts research.”

Michael Welsh is an undergraduate student at California State University – Sacramento majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Applied Math, with a focus on differentials. His current career aspirations are to work in the education field or as a healthcare professional. His dream career is as either a forensic nurse or toxicologist. Through his internship, he is working on a research project examining the evolution of telemedicine use before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and how disparities among patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) have evolved along with it. 

“Through my internship with CHPC, I am primarily excited to learn what I can do at the undergraduate level to raise awareness of health disparities and advocate for vulnerable populations.”