The Global Health Student Council, working in partnership with the Center for Innovation in Global Health, is composed of undergraduate and graduate students with diverse backgrounds committed to strengthening the global health community on campus.
The Stanford Global Health Student Council is an interdisciplinary student organization at Stanford University dedicated to strengthening the global health community on campus. Composed of undergraduate and graduate students, the Council works in close partnership with the Stanford University Center for Innovation in Global Health (CIGH), Stanford’s premier global health research, education, and mentorship center.
Blending education with meaningful action, the Global Health Student Council’s mission is three-fold. Seeking to engage students and scholars from all parts of campus on global health issues, the Council seeks to create community among faculty, staff, and students interested in global health. To better inform young leaders, stakeholders, and the public about critical global health challenges, the Council aims to facilitate interdisciplinary learning about global health, both in and out of the classroom. Lastly, to provide needed experience and practical knowledge to future leaders in the field, the Council works to connect students to opportunities focused on underserved communities locally and abroad.
A diverse and interdisciplinary group, the Council is composed of undergraduates and graduates, premedical students, economists, biologists, and engineers — all with a shared interest in and passion for ensuring every single human being, no matter who they are or where they are from, has access to affordable and quality healthcare. We welcome any and all Stanford students to join our team, as we strive to include as many perspectives and voices as possible in our effort to improve health for all.
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Monica Peña-Aguilar
Co-President
Monica Peña-Aguilar (‘23) is a Senior majoring in Psychology. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, she has been exposed to a very diverse community which has greatly influenced her interest in global health and increasing its accessibility to low-income communities in Latin American countries. She volunteers at Cardinal Free Clinics and WYSE and is a research assistant for the Immigration Policy Lab. She hopes to continue learning about global health and its intersections with social determinants of health, so that she can help to increase the accessibility of quality healthcare.
Contact Monica Peña-AguilarBennett Liu
Co-President
Bennett Liu (’24) is a senior at Stanford University studying computer science. Bennett is originally from Denver, CO where he enjoys the outdoors! He is really interested in mental health in global settings and how technology can be leveraged to expand access to mental health resources. In his free time, he enjoys surfing, plays tennis on the club tennis team for Stanford, and can give a pretty good haircut. As part of the council, Bennett hopes think about global health at a local level.
Contact Bennett LiuShuvi Jha
Vice President
Shuvi Jha (‘24) is a sophomore from Cupertino, CA, and a prospective Human Biology/Medical Anthropology major. Her interest in global health stems from her experiences living in India where she witnessed firsthand how the forces of industrialization, globalization, and colonization impact BIPOC populations. Within global health, Shuvi’s interests include disease ecology, integrative medicine, and incorporating intergenerational trauma with notions of health and wellbeing among BIPOC communities. In her free time, Shuvi enjoys writing, thrifting, spending time with friends and family, and watching TikTok.
Contact Shuvi JhaJessica Balbin
Refugee Advocacy
Jessica Balbin (24′) is a junior majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Global Health. She created and leads Stanford’s Pre-Medical association’s Health Advocacy Committee , is an active volunteer and officer within the Cardinal Free Clinics, and works with Stanford’s El Centro Chicano y Latino to help create space for the chicano and Latinx community. Jessica hopes to bring to light the myriad of social and health issues that disproportionately impact marginalized communities, and above all strives to help empower the voices of these community members.
Contact Jessica BalbinIshita Verma
Speaker Series
Ishita Verma (’25) is a sophomore from San Jose, California and is a prospective biology major. She love research and has been working at a Helms Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery lab investigating cleft palate repair. She also loves podcasting and is intern for Stanford Medcast, where she plans and edits episodes. Ishita was introduced to global affairs and relations in high school, and since then has developed a particular interest in global health. She loves learning about these issues and has taken several courses taught by the Stanford Global Health department. She’s very excited to translate her learning into action and take steps towards bettering health with this club. In her free time, Ishita is a big reader. She particularly loves novels and memoirs.
Contact Ishita VermaShriti Parajuli
Mentorship
Shriti Parajuli (’24) is a junior studying Human Biology at Stanford. Living in Kathmandu, Nepal; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Reno, Nevada; and Yuma, Arizona, and getting to involve herself in her local communities has largely driven her interests in global health and education equity. She is involved with the Cardinal Free Clinics, Little Libraries, and the Asian American Activities Center (A3C). Within global health, her interests are in maternal and children’s health, equity, and epidemiology. Outside of class, she can often be spotted with friends in the Couchroom of the A3C!
Contact Shriti ParajuliCaitlynn Tran
Advocacy
Caitlynn Tran, ’25, is a sophomore studying Chemistry, and has gained a particular interest in Asian and Asian American health having grown up in the Bay Area. She is involved with the Join Jade movement through Team HBV, which focuses on bringing awareness to the racial health disparity of hepatitis B in the Asian and Pacific Islander community. She hopes to increase access to quality healthcare and inform others of global health disparities as a volunteer at the Cardinal Free Clinic and a member of the GHSC.
Contact Caitlynn TranAnoushka Rao
Refugee Advocacy
Anoushka (’24) is a junior majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Human Rights. Her interest in global health stems from her passion for medical ethics in the context of refugee and disability rights in underserved communities. She has worked at UCSF’s Health and Human Rights Initiative, where she volunteered at a refugee clinic that provided pro bono forensic medical evaluations to asylum seekers. This coming academic year, she is leading a new student organization called Stanford Association for Medical Ethics (SAME), and will continue volunteering at Ravenswood Clinic in East Palo Alto. Anoushka hopes to use research, outreach, community partnership, and student passion to positively impact the space of global health equity worldwide.
Contact Anoushka RaoLexy Tran
Community
Lexy Tran (’25) is a freshman from Morgan Hill, California, majoring in Science, Technology, and Society. On campus, she’s involved in stem cell/organoid/cancer research at the medical school, public health organizations including United Students for Veterans’ Health and Team HBV, and the Intersect Journal of Science, Technology, and Society. She is particularly interested in understanding how social, economic, and policy factors interact and impact global health. Outside of academics and extracurriculars, she loves to cook & bake, watch movies & TV shows, listen to music & curate Spotify playlists, vibe to old school hip hop, spend time with friends & family, and swim/hike/do anything outdoors.
Contact Lexy TranAhmed Moutwakil
Mentorship
Ahmed Moutwakil (’23) is majoring in Human Biology with a minor in Human Rights. His interests in global health involve newborn care and addressing health inequities faced by underserved groups in resource-poor settings. He volunteers with Cardinal Free Clinics and is involved in global health research with the Luby Lab.
Contact Ahmed MoutwakilGurmenjit Bahia
Speaker Series
Gurmenjit Bahia (‘24) is a sophomore studying Biology with a concentration in biochemistry/biophysics from Modesto, CA. She particularly enjoys research revolving around genetic editing technology and healthcare disparities. Additionally, she is involved with the Stanford Premedical Association Health Policy Committee, undergraduate senate, and a group advocating for First-generation and/or low-income students known as FLIP. She aspires to become an Orthopedic surgeon and go into global surgery. Aside from her academics, she loves nature, gardening, and long walks.
Contact Gurmenjit Bahia