Roula K
- Research Program Mentor
MD candidate at Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Expertise
psychology, biology, public health, social sciences, biochemistry
Bio
Hi! My name is Roula Kouvatas (she/her/hers) and I am a first-year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. I received my Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Harvard College in May 2021. My interests in medicine include family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry and women's health. As a future physician, I aim to integrate practices of allyship and solidarity with backgrounds that are unlike my own to promote social justice in medicine. In my free time, I enjoy working with and mentoring youth to help them realize and achieve their goals. I also enjoy watching reality TV and trying new restaurants with friends!Project ideas
The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Child Development
You've probably heard about the nature versus nurture debate. While it was historically thought that it was either genetics or environment that contributed to the development of our physical traits and health conditions, we now know that both areas play a role. Our environment refers to the experiences we encounter throughout life, including the experiences we had throughout childhood. In this project, we could analyze how adverse childhood experiences impact various parts of life, including neural development, mental health, and the likelihood of developing chronic health conditions later in life.
Exploitation in the History of Medical Research
American medicine has a long-standing and devastating history of medical experimentation on underserved, primarily African-American, communities. Through this project, we can conduct a review and analysis of either historic or present-day examples of medical experimentation and exploitation, and how these wrong-doings impact the healthcare system today.
Exploring the Role of Epigenetics in Disease Processes
Epigenetics is an emerging area of research, examining the relationship between one's environment and their gene expression. This project could focus on conducting a review of the role of epigenetics in various pathophysiologies, such as cancer, diabetes or neurological disorders, and how this understanding can better inform treatments.