Soniya (Soni) Chawla is a rising sophomore planning on double concentrating in Neuroscience and Public Health. She was born and raised in Santa Clara County, California.

Primarily, Soni’s research interests include adolescent mental health and substance abuse prevention. As a Hassenfeld Summer Scholar, she will be working with Dr. Caroline Kistin to investigate substance use in teens.

When not working, Soni can be found trying new cafes, and drinking coffee or matcha. She also loves to dance, spend time outside, and listen to diverse genres of music.

Mal Go is a rising senior in the UG/MPH program studying Applied Epidemiology. As a Hassenfeld Summer Scholar, she is eager to investigate Synagis/prophylaxis rates and pharmacoequity in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). In the future, Mal hopes to broaden her research beyond gestational diabetes and BPD to include placenta histopathology, clinical prediction models, and fetal ultrasounds. Outside public health, her interests include reading psychological horror, watching classic horror, and playing piano poorly. When she’s not working or catching up on sleep, Mal can be found losing a game of chess in Coffee Exchange.

Morgan Jones received her BSc in Neuroscience from Brown University in May 2024. She is currently in the Five-Year UG/MPH Program at Brown University in the Maternal and Child Health concentration. Morgan is passionate about improving the mental health of children and adolescents and wants to use her neuroscience and public health background to become a psychiatrist. She is excited to be exploring depression prevention tools for adolescents with Dr. Tracy Gladstone's research team. 

My name is Joseph Valerio Malik, and I am a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics at the University of Rochester. Originally from Providence, RI, I have cultivated a passion for pulmonary health and pediatrics over time.

In the realm of pulmonary health, I am actively engaged in initiatives aimed at smoking cessation and promoting awareness of lung cancer prevention. My involvement extends to various programs in Rochester, NY, where the goal is to foster community education and support. Also, to learn more about pediatrics within underrepresented communities, I served as a medical assistant in a low-income area of Bolivia where healthcare access was scarce. This experience highlighted the critical importance of healthcare accessibility and increased my commitment to addressing healthcare disparities.

My previous research endeavors encompassed investigations into skeletal muscle wasting associated with rheumatoid arthritis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. By targeting genetic and molecular factors implicated in inflammatory cytokine-induced protein degradation, it potentially could allow for highly specific treatments. Currently, my research is centered on preventative strategies for pediatric asthma in Rochester, NY, with a focus on understanding and addressing gaps in asthma healthcare.

As a Hassenfeld Summer Scholar, I am privileged to work and learn under Dr. Koinis Mitchell in enhancing urban children's health outcomes, particularly in sleep and asthma management. This immersive experience entails investigating the interplay of lifestyle, behavioral, and environmental factors contributing to adverse health outcomes in marginalized communities. Through this opportunity, I aspire to deepen my understanding of pediatric health disparities and evaluate the efficacy of community-based interventions in mitigating negative health outcomes while advancing preventive care for children in these marginalized communities.

Peiting (Christy) Zhao is a first-year MPH student concentrating in Epidemiology at Brown University Scholl of Public Health. Christy received her B.A. in Economics from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, in May 2022. Inspired by a personal medical experience in 2020, she embarked on a journey toward a career in public health. Since then, she has gradually developed her interests in epidemiology and maternal and child health through coursework and research assistantship.

Christy is deeply passionate about maternal and child mental health and the epidemiology of chronic non-communicable health conditions in women, children, and adolescents. As a Hassenfeld Summer Scholar, she will be working with Dr. Tracy Gladstone on a school-based depression screening project, where she will aid in data analysis and program evaluation. Through her research, Christy is hoping to empower children and women living with chronic conditions to reach their full potential and achieve equitable well-being.

When she is not studying, Christy loves acrylic painting, singing, and immersing herself in nature.