Stay in the moment, we are told. Don’t dream too big, you won’t make it. Live in reality. These are the statements we grow up with. We learn to limit our wings, constraining them before they could even learn to lift on their own. Growing up, I dreamed of being the best doctor ever, making everyone happy and healthy. As I matured, my goals transitioned into wanting to become an OBGYN who provides compassionate care to women with limited access to healthcare. I aspired to help those women whose wings could not extend due to societal pressures and long-standing stereotypes. As a South Asian woman in STEM, I have witnessed the barriers women face in obtaining healthcare. From their pain being dismissed to being called dramatic–I have experienced it all. I hope that one day women feel safe, comforted, and supported in their healthcare needs. Women are often stripped of respect and access to healthcare due to the inequity and discrimination that persists due to limited research and education on women’s health. I am worthy of these dreams that I aspire to achieve due to the dedication, ambition, and personal connection that tie me to these aspirations. 15 years ago, my aunt was a victim of insufficient women’s health and access to resources. She was pregnant with her first child when she was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition with cardiac complication risks for the mother and fetus. When she went into pre-term labor, she rushed to the local hospital, only to be greeted by inadequate resources and the message “we cannot give your baby a fighting chance here.” By the time she reached the city hospital, it was too late. The baby was gone. Learning about the mental stress and long-term impact that inappropriate resources and access had in my aunt’s case has fueled my drive to pursue a career focused on improving women’s healthcare through medicine, research, and public health advocacy. Since then, I made it my mission to do my best to stop these unfortunate events from happening to other women. I began speaking out to the public through the Speech and Debate platform. For the past three years, almost every weekend in the fall and spring, I stood in numerous high school classrooms, town hall meetings, and auditoriums changing opinions by educating on facts. I spoke about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Primary Ovarian Insufficiency–conditions for which research funding is limited. I informed my community about In Vitro Fertilization, including the cost analysis and mental health repercussions of failed attempts. I led speeches and presentations warning society of the implications of stagnant public health and lagging healthcare resources for women. I made sure that the dream I had been chasing became closer to a reality for many. I was honored with the title of Distinguished Young Women of Houston, where I used the platform to inform parents, judges, and educators about the critical healthcare resources gap for women. I took my advocacy to the lab where I developed a biochemical blood test that provides women insight into their reproductive potential for a tenth of the cost of the current gold-standard test. Though I have made immense progress towards my goals, the journey is long. In 20 years, I believe that I can bring my dream to fruition and focus on other dreams. Life is too short to continuously fight for our rights and be left behind in the dust. As women, we deserve to live these dreams. With this scholarship, I will continue these initiatives to ensure that women receive their share of appropriate and respectful healthcare.

15 years ago my aunt was a victim of insufficient women’s health and access to resources. She was pregnant with her first child when she was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition with cardiac complication-risks for mother and fetus. When she went into pre-term labor, she rushed to the local hospital, only to be greeted by insufficient resources and the message “we cannot give your baby a fighting chance here.” By the time she reached the city hospital, it was too late. The baby was gone. Learning about the mental stress and long-term impact the inadequate resources and access played in my aunt’s case has fueled my drive to pursue a career focused on improving women’s healthcare through medicine, research, and public health advocacy. Compared to 100 years ago, women are now delaying pregnancies, leading to fertility problems and increased need for assisted reproductive technology. In fact, only 12.7% of women are able to correctly identify their fertile window. Though this may not seem like a catastrophe from afar, the implications are enlightening. A significant percentage of women have Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) or PCOS. POI is a condition in which women have premature menopause. In PCOS, women have greater than normal small ovarian follicles presenting them as infertile. As an avid researcher, I developed a novel, affordable, and accessible blood test that measures anti-mullerian hormone, providing a quantitative snapshot of the ovarian follicles currently present. I applied this development to a novel sample collection technology: Dried Matrix MicroSample (DMMS). The DMMS technology requires a single drop of blood, which is self-collected using a microsampling device, improving accessibility for women in rural and underserved communities. Furthermore, conventional testing using a transvaginal ultrasound has been invasive, expensive, and not readily accessible. The novel DMMS test costs $10, making it a simple, convenient, and inexpensive choice for determining reproductive potential. I hope to expand the impact of this project by developing a point-of-care device, similar to the COVID-19 rapid antigen test. This new device would have the potential to provide immediate fertility status. Being a south asian woman in STEM has never been an easy path. Throughout my journey, many individuals discredited my women’s health research because I was “too young to have accomplished that” or the topic was “not relevant to my age.” Getting involved with research I cared about was difficult, because I was just a high-schooler with goals, but no real lab or life experience. I was often told to be less ambitious in my goals.” These comments became disheartening, shattering my self confidence, and making me question my self-worth. The mentorship I received in the labs helped me get closer to my goals and overcome the invalidating remarks. It helped support my goals with monetary help, training, and resources. It encouraged me to use the speech and debate platform to advocate for women’s health and bring equity in STEM fields. During one of my presentations, a male judge commented that my speech was irrelevant to the majority of society.” Comments like these fueled my determination to continue advocating towards a better future where all women regardless of color or socioeconomic status have an equitable chance. I learned that all we need is one person to believe in our voice and give us the chance to showcase what we stand for. For me, my voice and lab skills proved that no matter what adversity faces me, I will continue to rise, proving to the world that women can become doctors, speakers, ambassadors, and most importantly women can be the face of STEM, helping others climb the ladder they built.

Every Sunday morning, I scrubbed in and started a game of operation. As I grew older, I discovered that medicine was more than anatomy, diagnosis, and treatments. It was about socioeconomic status and access. 15 years ago my aunt was a victim of insufficient women’s health and access to resources. She was pregnant with her first child when she was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition with cardiac complication-risks for mother and fetus. She did not have routine exams and when she went into pre-term labor, she rushed to the local hospital, only to be greeted by insufficient resources and the message “we cannot give your baby a fighting chance here.” By the time she reached the city hospital, it was too late. The baby was gone. Learning about the mental stress and long-term impact the inadequate resources and access played in my aunt’s case has fueled my drive to pursue a career focused on improving women’s healthcare through medicine, research, and public health advocacy. The crisis is still unfazed. Compared to 100 years ago, women are now delaying pregnancies, leading to fertility problems and increased need for assisted reproductive technology. In fact, only about 12.7% of women are able to correctly identify their fertile window. Though this may not seem like a catastrophe from afar, the implications are enlightening. A significant percentage of women have Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) or PCOS. POI is a condition in which women have a premature menopause. In PCOS, women have greater than normal small ovarian follicles often presenting them as infertile. As an avid researcher, I developed a novel, affordable, and accessible blood test that measures anti-mullerian hormone, providing insight into a women’s ovarian reserve– a quantitative snapshot of the ovarian follicles currently present. I applied this initial development to a novel sample collection technology–Dried Matrix MicroSample (DMMS). The DMMS technology requires a single drop of blood, which is self-collected using a microsampling device, improving accessibility for women in rural and underserved communities. Furthermore, conventional testing using a transvaginal ultrasound has been invasive, expensive, and not readily accessible for those under 20. The novel DMMS test costs $10, making it a simple, convenient, and inexpensive test of choice when trying to determine reproductive potential and the next best step. This year I plan to expand on this project by developing a point-of-care device, similar to the COVID-19 rapid antigen test. Mechanistically, the test would work as a lateral flow assay and provide women with an immediate fertility status. The test kit encompassing a lancet, microsampling device, extraction buffer, and dropper would be shipped to the patient’s home. After pricking the fingertip, the formed blood pellet would be absorbed on the microsampling device, placed in an extraction buffer, and shaked to allow the reaction to occur. Once the blood has been extracted from the tip of the device, a dropper would be used to place one drop of the extracted solution onto the lateral flow device. After 15 minutes, the “test line” will appear and the intensity of the color would indicate the AMH level, an estimate of a women’s ovarian reserve. With this scholarship, I would like to bring this research to life and bridge the healthcare gap in rural and underserved communities. At the Segars Lab at Johns Hopkins University, I am excited for the possibility of establishing this test and revolutionizing fertility testing. Hopefully, in the future, with increased access to critical healthcare resources for women, we can stop playing the losing game of Operation and instead play one that tells a different story, one that encourages equity in healthcare.

Faces gaze across the room with smiles and a warm touch of nostalgia. Gatherings bring people together despite their differences. All but one. Cell death takes over the brain, eating up core memories with family and friends. These memories of happiness, sorrow, anxiety, and confusion are digested by an unpredictable disease. Conditions like Alzheimer’s and Dementia are known to affect more than just the patient. What may start as forgetting people’s birthdays may have more detrimental consequences down the road, not just for the patient, but for their family as well. Six years ago, my uncle’s neurocognitive decline left a lasting mark on my nephew. My uncle was in the kitchen with my nephew. He had been cooking some food in the pressure cooker when he forgot about it and walked away to his bedroom. My nephew, four years old at the time, stood in front of the stove watching the cooker whistle. A few minutes later, his mom and aunt heard a loud burst, and my nephew was crying on the ground. His legs on fire, covered in boils, and steam rushing out of the hot water that spilled, covering his legs, his arms, and his torso, leaving not one, but four victims of dementia. My uncle, confused by the situation at present, rushed to aid, seeing my nephew down on the ground, but was immediately sent away, given the risk he posed. My aunt and cousin tended to my nephew as they tried to make sense of the situation and my uncle’s cognitive function. Typically, in America, many of these individuals who have severe dementia-like illnesses are sent to nursing homes for more detailed care and attention to their needs. In Indian culture, however, nursing homes are considered taboo regardless of the reason for sending a family member there. To better understand how dementia affects patients, I volunteered at elderly homes in Houston. To my surprise, many of the individuals who were sent there because of dementia were very lonely and depressed. Even though they did not recall every encounter with their visitors and did not remember some of their own family, they often felt abandoned. When they had company, there was a sense of freshness and excitement that they were being thought about. As a result, a couple of friends and I decided to host game days with the patients to encourage interaction and boost positive emotions. The residents jumped at the idea and quickly found themselves chatting with others, playing bingo, cards, and chess. I quickly sat myself at a table with an empty seat and began introducing myself. I remember when I introduced myself to a group of older ladies, they all lit up, excited to have new and young faces in the home. While all the residents were very friendly and vocal, one resident at my table seemed distant. Her name was Suzzie. I was not sure if her behavior was part of her normal affect or she was disturbed by our presence. As we began playing rummy, we all put down our cards, except Suzzie. She asked, “What are we doing?” The older gentleman next to her repeated the instructions. It seemed odd because we went through all the details, and she confirmed she had no questions. Later that evening, the gentleman sat next to me and said, “Her memory is getting worse. She forgets what she is doing in the middle of her activities." It made me start to realize all the things we take for granted. For her, everything was agitating because she would forget. Just like the game, she often forgot if she had showered and would shower two to three times back to back despite having wet hair and a wet towel as proof of her shower. It also made me realize the power of these nursing homes in bringing together individuals who acknowledge these gaps, support each other, and receive the extra attention they need to function. After my visit, I started to analyze individuals in my community, identify signs of memory loss, and create safe environments for similar people. It was intriguing to see how individuals affected by dementia react to repeated stories, comments, and people. At one of my repeat visits, I met Suzzie’s daughter and learned the impact the dementia had on her. Her daughter would take off work early twice a week, unsure of what she would be greeted with: an excited mother with love to shower or a stranger who does not recognize her and asks to be left alone. While Suzzie had no control or recollection of these events, the daughter had to live with the emotional stress that came with loving and caring for her mother. Suzzie’s daughter was strong. She would show her pictures of the times they spent together, with little hope that she would recall. My heart hoped that she’d instantly see her daughter’s pictures and remember everything, but, more times than not, this was the unfathomable truth. Suzzie taught me so much about the brain. More than science and medicine, she taught me to appreciate what we have. I learned to live in the moment, taking everything in, creating memories, and cherishing my relationships. Since these experiences, I have developed a strong interest in understanding the brain’s mechanisms and how it affects our full body. I had never witnessed the spectrum of dementia and the various impacts it has on the self and family. As I continue to volunteer and learn more about the disease and the community, I have started doing research on neurodegenerative disorders, learning more about indicators for disease, and looking into ways to minimize effects and improve outcomes. As an incoming freshman at Johns Hopkins, I will be expanding my knowledge by taking a class titled: Peripheral Nerves in Health and Disease. Through this class, I will have the opportunity to learn more about these conditions and learn about new developments in the field. As an avid researcher, I hope to continue my passion for neurocognitive decline by identifying novel biomarkers for early detection of neurodegenerative diseases while advancing the way physicians map brain cell death. I would like to join one of the many labs at JHU to further research ways that we as scientists can initiate the reversal of brain death and stop the harmful effects of neurocognitive diseases. In the coming years, I will gain the proper training and resources needed to become a doctor who can better address the medical, social, and emotional needs of those affected by Alzheimer’s and Dementia related illnesses.