When I travel, I'm drawn to the shift of culture, whether it's the language or the food. The method we communicate with and the culture we were brought up in influences the way we see the world, and I'm fascinated with connecting with people by understanding those differences. My family is from India, where there is at least 10 common languages. I've seen how language creates barriers, both in speaking the same language and terminology itself. My sister is neurodivergent, and we struggle to convey that in our native language or even convey the idea at all. Neurodiversity is misunderstood in rural India. Children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders are labelled as 'slow', and stigma surrounds them. Diagnostic services aren't available, so instead of getting the help they need, they're forced to struggle. This gap is caused by language, and proper communication solves this issue. When we can appropriately advocate for neurodiversity and do so in India's native languages, these gaps start to close. Parents can explain their child's needs in clinical settings, teachers can adapt instruction, and the community gains the terminology and awareness to explain their children. This is why I care about accessibility through language with The Healing Harmony, an organization I run to make music more accessibility to neurodivergent individuals. We've taught piano to children across multiple countries, and I've adapted our frameworks to function in multiple languages. I've written out the methodology I developed in a book, which I've made available in several languages to close this language gap. We also utilize non-verbal language, with visual cues, patterns, and hand-over-hand guidance helping our communication. I've communicated with families in English, Spanish, Hindi, and Telugu, and when I shift to a language they're more comfortable in, trust deepens and fosters progress. Music itself serves as our universal language, bypassing the need for specialized therapy to work towards non-musical goals like emotional regulation and fine motor skills. International travel travel has taught me that various approaches are necessary. In India, extended family networks serve as support systems. In the United States, research and medical institutions tend to drive progress and support. Neither system is holistic. A cross between the systems provides the greatest support. Working in foreign countries expands this cross. As someone pursuing translational medicine and computational biology, I've seen how eurocentric datasets can harm the models we develop. Illness varies across populations internationally, and solutions need to account for these differences. As a future physician and researcher, I aim to collaborate across cultures and countries so that my data is more representative and my treatments are more equitable. Language learning furthers this collaboration, allowing me to communicate my ideas smoothly. Growing up between cultures has also shaped my passion. In rural India, I've seen resilience through community bonding even when resources are limited. In the United States, I've seen how advanced research infrastructure and standardized medical systems can expand patient access. I want to bridge those worlds, translating scientific advances into forms that are socially and culturally accessible. Families in rural villages should feel equally as equipped as families living in major city centers. My travels only fuel this mission further, showing me the various forms of joy different communities experience across the world. Preserving this joy is my ultimate goal. I'm passionate about travel because I can remind myself of my purpose by traveling, make a difference by working in foreign countries, and facilitate this progress by learning languages so that knowledge isn't lost in translation.

As a special needs sibling, I’ve been fortunate to experience the immense fulfillment of constantly making a difference in someone’s life. These experiences drive my ambition of an MD/PhD, equipping me to maximize my contribution to society through research, medicine, and philanthropy. As a researcher, my interests combined with a few powerful experiences have provided a direction for my scientific inquiry. The interdisciplinary nature of my study interests me most, as combining my love for coding and the sciences revealed a robust method that is both algorithmic and creative, taking advantage of concepts from different fields for deeper inquiry. Moreover, I helplessly watched my grandfather suffer due to an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. This helplessness ignited my passion to explore alternative solutions for antibiotic-resistant infections. I developed COMPHI: a COmposite machine learning Model to predict Phage-Host Interactions, as an antibiotic alternative. I also witnessed the effects of bipolar disorder on my aunt and my family as her support system. As a computational biophysics intern at USF, I am working on optimizing treatment for bipolar disorder by modeling GSK3β to determine lithium’s binding site and nature. The clinical applications of my work have also drawn me towards being a medical practitioner. Working as a medical assistant, volunteering in hospitals, and placing 3rd internationally in the EMT HOSA competition, I’ve learned patient care and have applied BLS skills in several emergencies in the community. Though my scientific interest pulls me towards research and medicine, it is ultimately rooted in my desire to serve as a philanthropist. I am a passionate musician with an Associate’s degree in Piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. My neurodivergent sister inspires me to spread my passion for music through my award-winning non-profit, The Healing Harmony (https://thehealingharmony.org/), where I design and conduct personalized music/movement-based sessions that aid in healing and help achieve a wide range of musical and non-musical goals such as emotional/sensory regulation, social interaction, and reading/language skills for individuals with learning differences. I’ve donated over 23 instruments worth over $25000, conducted over 35 music/movement-based sessions, trained 150 music teachers (using my self-published method book) and 35 volunteers with key skills to teach neurodivergent learners, impacted over 2200 individuals and expanded operations in several states in the US and India. My aspiration extends beyond an MDPhd. As a senior from rural Title-1-eligible high school and a sibling to sister with learning differences, I have firsthand experience of educational barriers and resources constraints. So I want to serve in roles I have found mentors in. I’ve started on this goal as a national ambassador of Young Women in Bio, as a member of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) Student Council and vice president of the Southeast USA group of the ISCB-SC, and as an Army Education Outreach Program (AEOP) Alumni council member. I am currently planning an Americas Computational Biology Conference with ISCB. My ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and cost-effective practical solutions, particularly for marginalized communities. Using education as a tool , I want to maximize my contributions to the community. I continue working hard to make significant contributions in pharmacogenomics and drug discovery, particularly using data driven approaches utilizing biomarkers and multimodal data. I will strive to enable others to be able to make these contributions. I also see myself trying to constantly improve my skills as a practicing physician-scientist while balancing contributions to the community through The Healing Harmony. In all my endeavors, I will actively work on operationalizing and implementing solutions, ensuring accessibility in underserved regions across the globe.