The Health Careers Peer Advisors (HCPAs) are part of Brown's Health Careers Advising team particularly available to First-Year and Sophomore students during the academic year. This affords you the opportunity to consult with a Brown undergraduate with experience as a health careers student. The Peer Advisors also coordinate highly-informative and engaging events each semester.
HCPA open hours for spring 2022 have concluded and fall hours will be listed at the beginning of the fall semester.
Congratulations to our graduating HCPAs, Abby Perelman and Tiffany Lin!
Alyscia Batista
Hometown: Long Beach, NY
Activities:
- Literary section editor of The College Hill Independent
- CHEM0100 and PHP0310 TA
- Class Liaison for Brown’s Infectious Disease Society
- eBoard member of Planned Parenthood Advocates @ Brown
- Member of the Financial Aid Advisory Board
- Medical Interpreter at the Rhode Island Free Clinic
- Swearer Center Tutoring Enrichment in Math and Science
- Member of the Steering Committee for the Sidney E. Frank Scholar Program
Research:
- Lefort Lab at Rhode Island Hospital: Derived mature human neutrophils from progenitors and induced CYBB and OLFM4 knock-outs in order to analyze neutrophil activity against S. aureus and S. pneumoniae.
Fun tidbit: When I got scuba certified, I had the opportunity to be face to face with a sea turtle as it chomped on some sea grass.
A piece of advice you would give to a pre-health student: Though being pre-med at Brown can be overwhelming, it isn’t your whole world. Make sure to step out of your comfort zone and explore your interests, even if they don't fall within the scope of your pre-med requirements.
Sojas Wagle
Hometown: Springdale, AR
Concentration: Psychiatric Epidemiology, Sc.B. (Independent Concentration)
Email: [email protected]
Activities:
- Journal Editor-in-Chief of International Youth Neuroscience Association
- Board Member of Production Workshop
- BWell Wellness Peer Educator
- SAPE Facilitator & SHAPE Sex Ed Volunteer
- CHEM 0100, CHEM 0330 TA
- Campus Tour Guide
- Meiklejohn Peer Advisor
- Member of Brown-RISD Slam Poetry Team
- Junior Representative of Brown Pre-Med AMSA
- Crisis Hotline Volunteer for Samaritans of Rhode Island
- Behavioral Health Technician at Crisis Stabilization Unit & Therapeutic Day Treatment (in Arkansas)
Research:
- Operario Lab at the School of Public Health, Behavioral and Social Sciences: Conducting literature reviews on barriers and facilitators to PrEP uptake in transgender women & cyberviolence
- Proulx Lab at the Mindfulness Center, Behavioral and Social Sciences & Psychiatry and Human Behavior: Adapting Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to Narragansett adult and adolescent populations
Fun tidbit: I recently found out that my name was supposed to be spelled “saujas” and comes from the Sanskrit word meaning “strong or powerful.”
A piece of advice you would give to a pre-health student: It’s not the end of the world if you get a B in Orgo. Know that you are imperfect and that your humanity lies in your imperfections.
Manuella Talla
Home country: Cameroon (Central Africa)
Concentration: Immunology Sc.B.
Email: [email protected]
Activities:
- Vice President of African Students’ Association
- Connect for Health Desk and Triage Advocate
- OJA! Modern African Dance Team member
- BIOL 0200 and BIOL 0530 TA
- Meiklejohn Peer Advisor
- WiSE Mentor
- International Mentoring Program Mentor
- Department of Biology Peer Advisor
- Campus Life Leadership Development Student Coordinator
- Brown Miriam Volunteer
Research:
- Jamieson Lab in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology: conducting an analysis on the effects of S. pneumoniae coinfection on the differential expression of the Influenza A Virus transcriptome
Fun tidbit: I’ve lived in 4 different countries growing up: The US (Maryland), Italy (twice! and high-key my fav), Madagascar (I miss the vibes), and Zimbabwe (currently!)
A piece of advice you would give to a pre-health student: Own your path and remember to always do what feels the most right for you and your circumstances. Navigating the pre-health journey can be daunting and extremely overwhelming and it can sometimes feel like there is only one way of going about it, but there are an infinite number of trajectories that you can pursue. Take the time to reflect on your vision, mission, and goals in regards to your health career and act accordingly.
Victoria Cao
Hometown: Westport, CT
Concentration: Public Health, Sc.B. Biology
Email: [email protected]
Activities:
- President of Brown Cooking Club
- E-Board Member of Food Recovery Network
- E-Board Member of Branch Christian Fellowship
- Treasurer of American Women’s Medical Association
- Duty Officer for the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team
- Rhode Island Free Clinic Scribe + Medical Assistant
- TA for Chem 0330, Chem 0350
- WiSE Mentor
Research:
- Brown University: Adherence to Behavioral Obesity Treatment through Actigraph with Dr. Stephanie Goldstein (Spring 2021 - continuing)
- Brown University: cGas and its role in Cell Senescence with Dr. Nicola Neretti (Fall 2021- continuing)
- Site Coordinator for PEDIG research with Dr. Galvin (Fall 2020 - continuing)
Fun tidbit: I love journaling and stationery!! Give me the cute Post-it notes.
A piece of advice you would give to a pre-health student: Do the things you love!! “Life is a marathon and not a sprint” - my dad.
