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.”