Who We are

Kaden is a junior studying biomedical engineering and computer science. As a Pratt Research Fellow, he studies the dynamics of protein-unfolding events in the Marszalek Research lab. Over the summer, Kaden will be continuing his research in the Marszalek lab, assisting with the ODE Engineering Design camp for high school students, and studying for the MCAT. Kaden’s biggest goal for the ReMed program is to develop a greater sense of purpose within the medical field, as well as develop a new appreciation for aspects of medicine he had not really previously considered.

Maya Chandar is currently a rising sophomore double majoring in Neuroscience and Computer Science. She was born and raised in Florida, and has a strong interest developing applications for machine learning in healthcare. Through ReMed, she hopes to learn about the humanistic side of medicine, and gain a more nuanced knowledge of medical humanities.

Sriya is a rising senior from Davidson, NC, majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Chemistry and Music. She is deeply interested in the intersection of healthcare and the arts, and believes in the power of combining scientific knowledge with creative expression to promote well-being. By engaging in research on global mental health this summer, Sriya aims to work towards creating lasting worldwide change. Sriya looks forward to learning and further exploring the intersection between medicine and the humanities this summer.

Meera Gangasani is a senior from Dallas, TX majoring in biology and minoring in creative writing and chemistry. She is interested in the complex care side of medicine and caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As an intern for the Autism Society of North Carolina and student researcher for the NC-PAL project, her goals this summer are to learn how to be a more empathetic in her approach towards caring for patients with complex care needs and examine key issues regarding healthcare disparities for people with disabilities. In her free time, she loves group fitness, stand-up comedy, staying updated on current events, and attempting to dance.

Morgan Hough is a rising senior from California majoring in Chemistry and Spanish. Working as the VP of Tutee Programming with GANO, a student-run volunteer program at Duke University, she helps facilitate free English as a second language tutoring to Hispanic adults in Durham, NC. Her dream is to become a Spanish-speaking doctor so she can bridge the language barrier between medicine and her Hispanic community. She hopes that engaging with medical humanities, arts, ethics, and history through ReMed will allow her to further her interest in how doctors can create more integrative and multi-faceted approaches to healthcare treatment.

Madiha Khan is a  Biology and Global health double major from Kolkata, India. She aspires to advocate for accessible and affordable public health care and help contribute to research into developing medical technologies that can cure diseases. Through the ReImagining Medicine Summer Fellowship, she wants to gain experience to better serve vulnerable communities globally as a UN emergency physician and public health advocate.

Laila Khan-Farooqi, a rising sophomore from Aspen, Colorado, is pursuing a major in biology and a minor in classical civilization. She has a passion for the health humanities and seeks to explore the interconnectedness of identity and medicine through lenses of gender, ethics, and culture. She hopes to learn more about how ethical practices govern our current medical system and where we can improve our implementation of these ideas in the clinic, the operating room, and beyond. Laila enjoys being outside, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and skiing.

Alex LaTrenta is a junior from Connecticut with a major in Biology, minor in History, and certificate in the Decision Sciences. As an aspiring physician-scientist and MD-PhD in immunology, oncology, or infectious disease, she is passionate about translational research, scientific communication, and helping people through science. When she is not in the classroom or the lab, she enjoys dancing in two dance groups on campus, giving tours to prospective students, and volunteering to teach STEM subjects to 4th to 6th graders in FEMMES+. She also enjoys rock-climbing and listening to rock music. She is looking forward to combining her love for medicine, history, dance, bioethics, and writing in this fellowship to learn how to become a well-rounded physician focused on patient care.

Matthew Lee is a rising junior studying BME/ECE on the premed track. He was born in South Korea and currently lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He is excited to gain exposure in medical humanities through ReMed because he feels that he doesn’t get to engage with humanities that much altogether as an engineer. He will be in Madison, Wisconsin over the summer.

Christina Lewis is a rising senior from Charleston, SC, majoring in Religious Studies and minoring in Biology and Chemistry. At Duke, she is involved in researching trauma-informed education. In her free time, she loves to write, paint, and spend time outdoors. This summer, she will be working as a nurse aide. She hopes to eventually have a career as a psychiatric or women’s health clinician.

Luxuan Li is a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in neuroscience. She is currently researching chronic pain and itch under the department of neurology. She is passionate about the intersection between health policy, health communication and inequalities. She loves dancing and hiking, and strives to pet as many puppies as possible.

Will Lieber is a sophomore Linguistics student interested in pursuing a prison studies certificate. He is interested in carceral healthcare, rural healthcare, and health literacy within his broader interests in studying language. During ReMed, he hopes to continue to use his humanities background to enrich his understanding of medicine. He is also very excited to shadow medical interpreters.

Chioma Danielle Okotcha is a rising Sophomore currently planning on majoring in Neuroscience and Music and pursuing a minor in computer science. She has spent equal thirds of her life in the U.K., Washington, and Maryland. Some of her non-academic interests include playing the sax and piano, crocheting, and various forms of writing. She is most excited to delve deeper into the various behind the scenes components that make up healthcare. This summer she plans to work as a direct support professional, OBGYN intern, and hospital volunteer (and perhaps get her CNA/EMT license!).

Anika is a rising senior from Milwaukee, WI studying a Program II major titled "Reimagining the Aging, Dying, and End-of-Life Care Experience." She plans to pursue an osteopathic medical degree in geriatrics or palliative/hospice care after graduating from Duke, with the hopes of creating a more positive aging and dying journey for all. This summer, Anika will be interning with Capri Communities, an assisted living conglomerate, with concentrations in life enrichment and active aging. Outside of school, you can find Anika in the mosh pit at a rock and roll concert, lifting weights in the gym, spending time with friends and family, or discovering a new restaurant!

Blake Perdikis is an English major who is pursuing a certificate in ethics while on the pre-health track. During his time at Duke, he has loved exploring the intersection between these three fields and learning about how the humanities informs medicine and vice versa. For this summer, he cannot wait to engage with the powerful, cross-sectional experiences offered by ReMed—shadowing, talks, etc.—and hopefully dispatch the skills he learns towards a project investigating the standard of care in emergency medicine in rural Tennessee.

Sabrina Sebastian-San Miguel is a rising senior Cultural Anthropology major from Warrenton, VA, who enjoys reading, sunny walks around campus, and trying new coffee spots. This summer, she is working on her senior thesis research at the intersection of chronic illness & disability narratives, visual media, technology, and medicine, and aspires to become an endocrinologist.

Sophia is a rising senior from Atlanta, GA who is pursuing a degree in Neuroscience (BS) with minors in chemistry and psychology. Her current research interests focus on raising transparency on the health disparities among incarcerated populations to promote justice and equity within the criminal legal system. Through ReMed, she is excited to learn more about how alternative medicine can uphold the ethical responsibilities of healthcare, especially in its relation to improving the health outcomes of the socially disadvantaged. Following the immersive week, Sophia will be working as an EMT to serve her community and gain direct experience in patient care.

Amitesh Verma is a rising junior from Cincinnati, OH studying Neuroscience and Music with the aspirations of becoming a physician. He is passionate about the intersection of music and healthcare with his previous involvements including the Language, Music, and Dementia Bass Connections Team where he studies the effect of musical training and multilingualism on dementia and cognitive impairment. Through ReMed, he hopes to further cultivate these interests through assisting with creative care sessions for adults with dementia through the Durham Center for Senior Life. In his free time, Amitesh enjoys playing jazz piano, watching and reviewing movies, and playing ping pong

Sophie Wu is a 3rd year student at Duke University originally from Seattle, WA. She is studying biomedical engineering and computer science on the pre-health track with a minor in chemistry. This summer, she will be in Germany conducting machine learning research into protein design as a DAAD-RISE Intern. She hopes to travel across Europe when she can! Additionally, in her free time, she likes to read and listen to music. She is incredibly excited to meet new people and gain a new perspective of healthcare through the ReMed program this summer.