Shivangi Kwatra

Shivangi is a longstanding health advocate and vector-borne pathogen researcher commencing her final year at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health as a master’s student majoring in epidemiology. Her background in animal physiology, immunology, and as a volunteer for medically vulnerable patients at York University in the city of Toronto has propelled her interests in medical advocacy in epidemiology at Columbia University. Shivangi’s interest in medical advocacy was exemplified in her recent role as a graduate intern at Sexual Violence Response at Columbia University. She was on the forefront of an NYHD certified rape and crisis centre meant to guide and advocate for victims on and off-campus. Her role as the Events Chair for TFNYC-SAG at Mailman ties into her drive to educate and raise awareness of the impacts that trauma has on physical and mental well-being. In a prior role as Communications Director at Colorectal Cancer Canada in York University she similarly advocated for colorectal health awareness and education on campus. Shivangi’s humanitarian passions extended to her undergraduate honours thesis work on the environmental impacts that rising salinity levels have on the proliferation of midges and mosquitoes in North American freshwater ecosystems. As an independent researcher, Shivangi was able to conclude key findings that tie into the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and advocated for a more robust solution to the vector-borne epidemic observed in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia. Shivangi is an ambitious, dedicated professional eager to make changes in vaccine development for vulnerable populations and aid in medical advocacy for victims and susceptible individuals.