Hello! I am Lyat, a second year student at Harvard University with an interest in bioengineering and creative writing. I am passionate about understanding how the brain functions in neurological diseases as well as in decision-making. I want to understand the brain from an interdisciplinary perspective meshing together biology, computation, and mathematical approaches. One of the projects I worked on is a study at the Bickel Lab at Virginia Tech where I had the opportunity to study how impulsive neurological behaviors played a role in diabetes self-regulation. I grew up with diabetic grandparents and friends, subject to how diabetes disproportionately affects black communities. Through my research, I wanted to not only understand the disease that marked my childhood but also how individuals can regulate their diabetes without the confinement of racial disparities in the healthcare system. Whether by working on my research project, interning at Children’s National Hospital, or designing a study on antibacterial resistance at my school’s biotechnology lab, I always seek to turn challenging questions into testable hypotheses. In my free time, I enjoy writing poetry and short fiction, and non-fiction stories. My writing has been published in the New York Times and I am a national gold medalist and American Voices Award recipient from Scholastic art and writing. The most rewarding part of the writing process is being able to connect and reach out to people who relate to the same experiences as me.

• President

  Fundraising · National Honor Society - Challenger Chapter

  Jan 2021 – Jan 2023

• Research Intern

  Research · National Institutes of Health

  Jan 2024 – Present

• Senior Reporter

  Youth Journalism International

  Jan 2019 – Present

• Communications Director

  Virginia Youth Climate Cooperative (VAYCC)

  Jan 2019 – Present

• Hematology and Laboratory Medicine Department Intern

  Medicine · Children's National Hospital

  Jan 2021 – Jan 2021

• Center for Health Behavior Research Fellow

  Fralin biomedical Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

  Jan 2022 – Present

• Advocacy
• Volunteering
• Philanthropy
• Entrepreneurship

• Field Hockey

  Junior Varsity

  2019 – 2020

• Research Intern

  National Institutes of Health · Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

  2024 – Present

  Research topic:

  Genomic Epidemiology of SARS-COV-2

• Student Researcher

  TJHSST Biotechnology Lab · Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

  2022 – Present

  Research topic:

  Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Bacteriophage Lytic against K. Rosea

• Center for Health Behavior Fellow

  Fralin Biomedical Institute at Virginia Tech Carillion School of Medicine · Neurobiology and Neurosciences

  2022 – Present

  Research topic:

  Delay Discounting as a Target for Self-Regulation in Prediabetes

• Scholastic Art and Writing

  Scholastic Art and Writing · Creative Writing

  2019 – Present

  Productions:

  10+ writing awards, published in 5+ publications (New York Times, Scholastic Art an

• Volunteer

  Volunteering · Techstravaganza

  2021 – 2021

  Mission:

  Expose elementary and middle schoolers to STEM topics

• Tutor

  Volunteering · TJHSST Writing Center

  2021 – Present

  Mission:

  edited and gave feedback on assigned essays or other writing projects for students across all grades

• Reading tutor

  Volunteering · BranchOut!

  2020 – 2021

  Mission:

  reduce the disruption in children's education during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Communications Director

  Advocacy · Virginia Youth Climate Cooperative

  2019 – Present