Current MHS Graduate Students
Sheila Akavan
Sheila Akavan is a graduate of Vanderbilt University where she majored in Medicine, Health, and Society on the pre-medicine track. Her research interest is focused on the intersection between telemedicine/telehealth and mental health. While in the M.A. Program, Sheila will work with Professor Heidi Bludau.
Gabrielle Curran
Gabrielle Curran is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she majored in Medicine, Health, and Society on the Pre-Medicine track. She is a student researcher for the Plastic Surgery Lab at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her research focuses on the intersection of medicine and technology; specifically how wearable technology will impact the future of healthcare. While in the M.A. program, Gabrielle will work with Professor Laura Stark.
Halcyeon Guy
Halcyeon Guy is a 2021 graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where she majored in International Relations and Criminology. She also minored in Italian, Global Engagement, and Sociology. Her research focuses on research ethics and drug development. While in the M.A. program, Halcyeon will work with Professor Laura Stark.
Ciaja Harbison
Ciaja graduated from Saint Louis University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health in 2022. She also minored in Health Care Ethics. Her research focuses on healthcare disparities within underprivileged communities, including the African American population. While in the M.A. program, Ciaja will work with Professor Jonathan Metzl.
Beatrice Juskeviciute
Beatrice is a graduate of Cornell University, where she majored in Biology and Society. Her research interests are health disparities, specifically living environments and access to food. While in the M.A. program, Beatrice will work with Professor Lucie Kalousovà.
Raegan Kelley
Raegan graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Medicine, Health and Society on the pre-medicine track while minoring in Spanish. Her research focuses on the social barriers to health among different populations and subcultures in the U.S., specifically looking at factors that affect access to healthy food, nutritional knowledge, and motivation to follow nutritional guidelines. While in the M.A. program, she will work with Professor JuLeigh Petty.
Ashley Keyes
Ashley is an honors graduate of Augusta University, where she received a B.A. in Anthropology on a pre-med track. Her research focuses on global women’s health in relation to maternity leave policies and health outcomes. While in the M.A. program, Ashley will work with Professor Heidi Bludau.
Nicole Nguyen
Nicole is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she received a B.A. in Neuroscience on the Pre-medicine track. Her research focuses on health disparities in mental health and its relationship to criminalization. While in the M.A. program, Nicole will be working with Professor Celina Callahan-Kapoor.
Emma Ornduff
Emma is a graduate of Wake Forest University where she graduated with a B.S. in Biology and minors in Neuroscience, Psychology, and Bioethics, Humanities, and Medicine. Her research is focused on the intersection of veteran conceptualization of war spaces, how that differs between wars based on tactics used, and the corresponding neuroanatomy of the brain. For the duration of her Master’s program, she will be working with Professor Dominique Béhague.
Nicolás Prada-Rey
Nicolás is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he double majored in Medicine, Health, & Society and Spanish & Portuguese while minoring in French. His research focuses on healthcare disparities affecting non-English-speaking Latino immigrants and how these can be addressed with different models of care. While in the M.A. program, Nicolás will work with Professor Dominique Béhague.
Sonali Prillman
Sonali Prillman is a graduate of George Washington University where she double majored in History and Biology while minoring in Judaic Studies. Her research focuses on the relationship between veterans, trauma, and motorcycle gangs/clubs. While in the M.A. program, Sonali will work with Professor Kenneth MacLeish.
Finn Shelp-Peck
Finn is a graduate of Meredith College where they received a B.S. in biology and public health with minors in chemistry and professional writing and media development. Their research is focused on health disparities in the trans and non-binary community and how these are apparent in clinical settings. While in the M.A. program, Finn will work in the LGBTQ+ Policy Lab with Professor Kirsty Clark.
Alycia Shipley
Alycia Shipley is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she majored in both Political Science and Medicine Health, and Society: Health Policies and Economies. Her current research focuses on analyzing harm reduction strategies to reduce deaths and disparities from the fentanyl crisis. While in the M.A. program, Alycia will work with Professor Panka Bencsik.
Kristin Smith
Kristin graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Bucknell University in 2021 where she majored in biology and women’s and gender studies and minored in dance. Her research is primarily focused on LGBTQ and reproductive health and social barriers to care. During the MHS M.A. program, Kristin will work with Professor Tara McKay.
Natalie Thomas
Natalie Thomas is a graduate of Vanderbilt University where she received a Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering on the Pre-medicine track. As an undergraduate, Natalie completed research in optics and biophotonics with Dr. Audrey Bowden and on the Electronic Health Record with Dr. Yaa Kumah-Crystal. She also completed summer research internships at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on provider workload with Dr. Wael Alrifai and at the Harvard-MIT Wellman Summer Institute for Biomedical Optics on cardiovascular health technology. Her current research focuses on the cardiovascular health of Southern U.S. populations and health disparities. While in the M.A. program, Natalie will work with Professor Martha Jones.
Daniel Solomon Wrocherinsky
Daniel Wrocherinsky is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he majored in both Political Science and Medicine Health, and Society: Global Health. His research focuses on illuminating routes of political mobilization of the working class to realize economic, social, and racial justice. Inspired by his book, Dying of Whiteness: How The Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland, Daniel will work with Professor Jonathan Metzl while in the M.A. program.
Matt Zgombic
Matt is a graduate of Vanderbilt University where he received a B.A. in Medicine, Health, and Society and Spanish with a minor in Chemistry. His research interests include health policy and improving standards of gender-affirming care. At Vanderbilt, Matt worked as a research assistant under Dr. Heerman for COACH, a community-based intervention to prevent obesity and promote healthy lifestyle habits for low income, Latinx families. While in the M.A. program, Matt with work with Professor JuLeigh Petty.