Women’s Health Scholarly Concentration Program

With a background in public health and nutrition, Heba’s research has focused on factors associated with maternal depression among women of color in North Carolina. She also has experience working as a volunteer birth doula and has conducted clinical research on pediatric eczema, allergies, and asthma at UNC. Through the Women’s Health Scholarly Concentration Program, she aspires to continue contributing to healthcare initiatives and research efforts that promote the well-being of women and children.

Jessica went to NC State for her undergraduate career and spent two gap years in New York City working at Weill Cornell Interventional Radiology. She is currently interested in many different specialties but is leaning towards Orthopedic Surgery or Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is passionate about bridging the research gap in women’s health and hopes to be a part of the change in research surrounding more studies focusing on female athletes while also hoping to inspire more women to pursue women’s health.

Asia is a medical student with a background in maternal health research, patient advocacy, and community-based interventions. Her passion for women’s health is deeply personal, shaped by her mother’s experience with sarcoidosis and her commitment to addressing the health disparities faced by Black women. As a Castillo Scholar, she gained hands-on experience in obstetrics and gynecology, which deepened her interest in exploring specialties such as minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and gynecologic oncology.

Her research focuses on enhancing culturally competent doula support to improve Black maternal health outcomes. Through the LEADoula Program, she evaluates the effectiveness of culturally responsive doula care, its impact on birth outcomes, and patient experiences. Asia is committed to a career in women’s health, conducting research, and advocating for equitable, patient-centered care for women of color.

Madison Calvert is an MD-PhD student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology with a concentration in Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Health. She conducts research in the Global Women’s Health Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Jeffrey Stringer. Her work centers on maternal health, with particular interests in pre-eclampsia prevention, obstetric care, and global health disparities. Madison aspires to become an OB/GYN dedicated to improving maternal wellness and promoting healthy birthing experiences through evidence-based care and advocacy.

Stephanie earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Anthropology at UNC Chapel Hill and received her Masters of Physiology at NCSU. Informed by her upbringing in rural NC, Stephanie is passionate about “medicine as service” and as a venue for social justice. In her 6 post-undergraduate years, she worked in federally qualified health centers in access to care and clinical roles serving primarily low-income and uninsured patient populations.

Stephanie intends on becoming a family medicine physician with a focus on addiction medicine and perinatal substance use disorders. She currently serves as the SHAC Social Needs co-director, co-leads the Addiction Medicine Interest Group at UNC, and participates in the Community Health Track.

Hayley Giordano is originally from Shallotte, North Carolina. After completing her studies in Biology, Ethics, and Law at NC State University, she volunteered with a non-profit in North Central Nigeria, where she gained invaluable experience supporting women at a pregnancy center. This work ignited her passion for serving diverse populations facing unique challenges, particularly in women’s health and health equity. She looks forward to the opportunity to serve as a trusted healthcare partner, empowering women both individually and societally, and contributing to lasting, generational change.

Sarah is a medical student here at UNC dedicated to expanding medical knowledge on women’s health and protecting reproductive rights in North Carolina. She is very interested in learning more about the role sex plays in many pathologies, including how hormone changes in females can create psychological differences.

Mehnaz’s interest in women’s health began while she worked as an AmeriCorps member at an FQHC in Chapel Hill. She had the opportunity to work on projects focused on improving access to comprehensive and holistic care for expectant mothers. She hopes to pursue similar avenues of research focused on the impact of and advocacy for integrated interdisciplinary care on women’s health.

Clare Stull is a first year medical student in the class of 2028. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biology and masters degree in Physiology from NC State, and worked as a medical scribe, scribe coach, and nanny during her gap years. Clare is interested in a variety of women’s health topics, including perinatal mood disorders and menopause. In the future, she hopes to specialize in either family medicine, internal medicine, or OB-GYN.

Samantha Thomas, originally from Queens, NY, now resides in South Durham, NC, with her husband Jonathan and fur-baby Marley. She is a birth doula with clinical and research interests in women’s health, focusing on obstetrics and cardio-obstetrics, as well as health disparities in underserved populations. In 2023, she received an award from the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) to investigate the impact of sports bra access and fit among high school students in North Carolina, studying its effects on physical activity and childhood obesity with UNC sports medicine physician Dr. Nailah Adams Morancie. Currently, under the mentorship of Dr. Johanna Quist-Nelson, a Maternal Fetal Medicine physician and Medical Director of the Women’s Health and Heart Clinic at UNC Rex, she is exploring pregnancy and postpartum outcomes in obstetric patients with heart disease.

Ayaka first became interested in women’s health while working as a medical scribe in the UNC Emergency Department, where she repeatedly observed the pervasive and debilitating effects of post-partum depression on both new and experienced mothers. Given this, her current career and research aspirations are to focus on advancing reproductive health equity and perinatal mental health. Overall, she is excited to learn how to advocate for women’s health across a wide variety of disciplines and specialties.