Meet Ritwik (’25), a rising junior majoring in Psychology. He is interested in intersectional advocacy and research, specifically on the topics of eco-anxiety and impacts of SES on mental health outcomes. Ritwik serves as a co-leader of the Period Equity Committee, a group dedicated to advocacy aimed at combating period poverty. The concerns around period poverty lie in a lack of access to products, insufficient education, and a lack of facilities — which the group plans to tackle.

I (’25) grew up visiting my family on the Caribbean island of Dominica every summer and the older I got, the more I noticed health disparities on the island. My Caribbean background has catapulted my interest in global health and has taught me that adequate healthcare is a right that not all people have access to. In the future, I hope to play an instrumental role in ensuring that people within and outside the United States have efficient healthcare resources readily accessible to them.

Abhi Kumar, ’24, a junior studying computer science and music. Through GHSC, Kumar has been in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (Oakland Branch), a nonprofit organization that supports Bay Area refugees in their resettlement journey in the United States. They have been working with their Health and Wellness team to conduct a literature review on the health consequences of trauma on the refugee populations that the IRC seeks to help. Kumar also hopes to continue supporting the organization by volunteering through some of their in person events!

Shuvi Jha (’24) is a senior studying Computer Science. Her interest in global health stems from her childhood 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 & going on long car rides.

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.

Sarika Lansberg (’25) is a Junior from Palo Alto, California, majoring in Human Biology. On campus, she’s involved in the Stanford Premedical Association as a Health Advocacy Committee President and Financial Officer. Academically, she is particularly interested in refugee and migrant health, child health, and mental health. Off campus, she works as an EMT at a Residential Treatment Center for Addiction. Outside of academics and extracurriculars, she loves to figure skate, crochet, and spend time with friends & family.

Pablo (’25) is a Junior Human Biology major interested in health delivery equity and international healthcare. He has worked in government management consulting, and on campus is a tour guide and volunteer for SNAP Kids with Dreams.

Sarah Sophie Schwarzhappel is  from Vienna, Austria. She is passionate about neuroscience, literature, and the intersection between social justice, health, and art. Within global health, she is currently interested in reducing health access disparities for immigrant communities and exploring how art can help to appreciate diversity and connect in empathic care. Sarah Sophie speaks German and Spanish. Outside of classes and research, she likes playing the flute or the saxophone, writing poetry or short stories, and exploring theatre and film.

Emma Charity, (’25),  is an undecided major interested in creating equitable systems. Her interest in global health stems from her work in high school researching racial diversity in genetic prostate cancer studies. She hopes to continue this type of work in fields of tech, global poverty, and researching social determinants of health.

Harleen Kaur (‘22) majored in Anthropology. Born in New York and raised by immigrant parents in Ohio, Connecticut, India, Illinois, and most recently Indiana, she has seen various ways health is shaped by spaces, both geographical and social, that you inhabit. At Stanford, she was a member of various cultural spaces, including South Asian Society, Sikh Students’ Association, and Stanford Bhangra. She volunteered with SHAR(ED) and a research assistant in the Intimate Partner Violence Lab. Harleen’s global health interests include narratives of addiction and circuits of care within Panjabi communities, intergenerational trauma and its manifestation with health and wellbeing, and gender based violence within immigrant communities.  

Tom Quach (he/him) (’24) is a senior at Stanford University pursuing a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Communication with an honors thesis in Science, Technology, Society. He is passionate in cultivating innovative solutions to enhance community health, at a local and global scale. During his free time, Tom enjoys hanging out with family and friends, building legos and exploring the California coast!

Originally from Miami, Florida, Abel Gonzalez ’22 studied Biology (Microbes and Immunity) on the pre-med track. He’s interested in understanding the pathophysiology of communicable diseases, reforming mental health frameworks, and developing healthcare safety nets in conflict regions. He was involved in Cardinal Free Clinics, in research with Stanford Med’s Office of Community Engagement, and interns for Genentech and the NIH. Abel loves to try out new restaurants, to explore the Bay and to visit his Berkeley boo. He loves fashion, anime, cooking, plants, drag, skincare, and traveling.

Dawson Sproul (‘22) majored in Human Biology. He was born and raised in a small town of 2,000 people in rural Kansas. At Stanford, he was a member of both Stanford Speaker’s Bureau as well as 5-Sure on Foot. His global health interests include water sanitation, infectious disease, and increasing access to health care for underrepresented communities, which he works to do as a lab assistant for the Pacific Free Clinic. Dawson hopes to educate the Stanford community about the broad field of global health and provide them with an outlet to explore their interests as well as discover new global health passions of his own.

Anna Hudson majored in Bioengineering with the long-term goal of working at the intersection of neuroscience, CS, and health to limit the long-term consequences of ACEs. She spends time volunteering with youth education, science outreach, and equity especially for low-income people. She also plays the french horn and loves cooking and drinking coffee.

Dean Tran (‘24) is from Morgan Hill, California. He is interested in Neurobiology and Biocomputation. His passions in Global Health lie in healthcare accessibility and education for marginalized communities. Outside of classes and research, Dean loves spending time with his friends, watching movies, and playing basketball.

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!

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.

Jessica Balbin (24′) majored 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.

Natalie Milan (‘24) is a Human Biology major who is committed to reducing global disparities in reproductive healthcare and fighting for education and food systems reform. She is pursuing a career as an OB/GYN and hopes to utilize her medical and Spanish skills to provide compassionate and culturally-conscious care to survivors of human trafficking in Latin America. Natalie is a Research Assistant at the GSE, exploring causes and effects of college non-completion, as well as a Peer Writing Tutor at the Hume Center. She is currently taking a gap year to support the “food as medicine” movement by interning for a medically-tailored meal service, grant-writing for a community garden, and volunteering at a sustainable coffee farm in Costa Rica. In her free time, Natalie enjoys hiking in the redwoods, watercolor painting, and practicing yoga.

Anoushka (’24) majored 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.

Tenzin Namgyal (‘24) is a Public Policy and Anthropology double major from Queens, New York. Outside of the classroom, she is a part of Stanford Housing Justice and works at the Women’s Community Center on campus. Within the field of global health, her interests lie in food security, reproductive health, and studying the disparities in the healthcare system. In her free time, Tenzin enjoys thrifting, trying out new restaurants, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

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.

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.

Ella Gray (’23) is a Human Biology major with a concentration in gender, disease, and public health. She is especially interested in alleviating global health disparities exacerbated by inequitable disease spread, morbidity, and mortality. In her free time, she enjoys singing with her a cappella group, The Harmonics, and watching reality TV on Netflix.

Allie Westley is majoring in Human Biology. She is planning on concentrating in Epidemiology and Global Women’s and Children’s Health. Outside of the classroom, she does research on women’s self-help groups and health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. She is particularly interested in sexual and reproductive health. Other things she is involved in on campus including counseling at the Bridge Peer Counseling Center, counseling at SHPRC (Sexual Health Peer Resource Center), SWIM (Stanford Women in Medicine), and Stanford Women’s Club Soccer!

Nahome Hagos (‘24) is a freshmen from North Jersey. He was originally born in Ethiopia, but immigrated to the United States with his family at a very young age. He is currently undeclared, but is interested in majoring in either Human Biology or Bioengineering. His interests within Global Health lie in infectious disease immunology and response as well as increasing healthcare accessibility for immigrant, minority and/or low income populations. Outside of classes, he is involved in a research laboratory studying the mechanisms of clinical immunity to malaria. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, reading and watching anime.

Maya Somers (‘24) is an undergraduate from Seattle, Washington and is planning on majoring in Human Biology. Her interests in global health include the immunology and epidemiology of infectious diseases and looking at the social determinants of health to promote equitable health outcomes and access to healthcare. Outside of classes, Maya is involved in research in a translational immunology lab, the Bridge Peer Counseling Center, Stanford in Government, and Stanford Women in Medicine. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, playing tennis, attempting photography, and meeting up friends to drink (lots of) coffee.