Medical Student Scholars

Jai Daniels graduated from The University of Chicago with a degree in Biological Sciences, specializing in Global and Public Health. She is passionate about equitable aging, addressing health disparities, and exploring the social determinants of health. Her research and clinical interests include neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, as well as gender and racial disparities in patient experiences. After graduating, Jai became a Clinical Research Coordinator at UCM’s Department of Hospitalist Medicine, where she investigated how physicians allocate their time and the quality of their interactions with patients through an NIH Diversity Supplement Grant. She also worked as a Neurology and Dementia Research Assistant, examining gaps in the recognition and diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia related to gender and sex.

Khari Derrick graduated from Wesleyan University in 2022, where he took full advantage of an interdisciplinary liberal arts education. He majored in Government & Politics, minored in Chemistry, and produced his senior thesis within the school’s film department, all while following a pre-medical track. After graduating, Khari moved back home to Harlem to work as a medical assistant for an understaffed urgent care center serving many low-income and chronically ill patients in his community. Outside of his urgent care work, Khari regularly attended his neighborhood district’s Health and Human Services committee meetings to learn about the complexities of health policymaking. Khari’s research experience includes working with pediatric developmental psychiatrists to investigate a program for increasing access to therapy for underserved patients diagnosed with ADHD.

Keianna Moyer earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Public Health from Georgia State University through the competitive 4+1 BSPH/MPH program, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Passionate about addressing health disparities, she has engaged in extensive research on maternal health, racial trauma, and public health equity. Keianna has presented her work at national conferences, including the American Public Health Association, APA Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Beyond research, Keianna has hands-on experience in healthcare as an Emergency Department Technician at Piedmont Eastside Medical Center and a Patient Care Technician at WellStar Atlanta Medical Center and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She has also served as a Maternal Health Equity Intern at the Center for Black Women’s Wellness and contributed to various community health initiatives.

Keianna’s motivation to becoming a physician is rooted in her dedication to health advocacy, research, and clinical care which underscores her commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes for historically marginalized communities. 

Andrew Travis graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Chicago with a degree in Biological Sciences.  Andrew hopes to pursue a career combining clinical medicine, public health, and community-based research.  While an undergraduate in the College at the University of Chicago, Andrew led the creation of a community health resource project in the South Side neighborhood of Woodlawn in partnership with several local community-based organizations. This longitudinal project is still ongoing, now in its third generation of student and community leaders. Andrew also worked in HIV community-based research at the Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, served as a teaching assistant in five introductory biology classes in the College, worked with his local health department on lead safety, volunteered as an event supervisor for Science Olympiad, worked as an intern and tech in an oral surgery practice, and worked with a political advocacy group on environmental health. As a medical student, Andrew co-leads the school’s chapter of Chicago Street Medicine (providing healthcare to the unhoused), serves as a Student Representative on the Curriculum Review Committee, co-leads the Internal Medicine Interest Group, is continuing his HIV research, and is the site director for SHARE (a group providing sex-ed to a local high school).

Jacob A. Fries is 2021 cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences with a supplemental major in Latinx Studies. He spent his first gap year as a Health Corps Fellow through the Washington AIDS Partnership in Washington DC, where he worked in HIV prevention, sexual health education, and human-centered design initiatives at the Latin American Youth Center. Jacob then came to Chicago where he worked as a clinical research coordinator at Northwestern Medicine, primarily focusing on the national REACH palliative care study. At Pritzker, Jacob serves as a co-leader of the Geriatrics Interest Group, is a member of LMSA and serves as the LMSA Admissions Liaisons, and is the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator at CommunityHealth Clinic. He is also involved in research with Dr. Harita Shah looking at HIV prevalence and PrEP utilization in Latinx populations across Cook County, IL. Jacob is looking forward to using his time in medical school to further understand the impacts of community-based health interventions and engage with issues surrounding end-of-life care and shared decision making.

Priscilla Stephanie Molina is a 2020 cum laude graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a B.S. in Psychobiology and completed minors in Latin American Studies and Public Health. Upon graduation, Priscilla went on to work as a Health Equity Navigator in Southern California’s largest FQHC, AltaMed Health Services, where her work involved addressing the social determinant needs of patients living with diabetes. She then served as a key intern lead in AltaMed’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Simultaneously, Priscilla co-led Spanish-speaking family support groups at a local mental health advocacy organization, NAMI. She ended her third gap year working as a medical scribe, behavior interventionist & an Assistant Resident Director at UCLA. At Pritzker, Priscilla currently serves as one of the student coordinators for Community Health Clinic, one of Chicago’s largest free clinics, and as the undergraduate mentorship co-chair for Pritzker’s chapter of the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA). She is also co-chairing the Family Medicine Interest Group and is a member of the team engaging in Pritzker’s chapter of REMEDY, a not-for-profit, nationwide medical student organization dedicated to addressing international health disparities through education and recycling of unused medical equipment. Priscilla looks forward to using her time in medical school to further expand her leadership skills, solidify her passion for community and mental health, and engage in issues surrounding migrant and youth health.

Juliana Byanyima graduated from Cornell University with a BA in Biological Sciences and minor in Health Equity. In college, she was a research assistant in the Life History lab where she studied the role of developmental context and early life stress on brain development. During her gap years, Juliana worked at the Center for Studies of Addiction at Penn, where she coordinated neuroimaging studies on alcohol and opioid use disorder.  At Pritzker, Juliana was elected by her class as a Wellness representative and is a member of the mental health subcommittee. She is the Social Media Chair for the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), the i2i (Identity and Inclusion) representative for the Wellness Committee, and a mentor for the Health Professions Recruitment & Exposure Program (HPREP) at Pritzker. Juliana is eager to explore her interests in interdisciplinary care, psychiatry and oncology, and mental health advocacy.

Thomas Statchen graduated of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned dual majors in Bioengineering and Urban Studies. His commitment to healthcare began early, working as an EMT since the age of 16. During a summer internship at Sayre Health, Thomas conducted a needs assessment to enhance patient connections to vital resources, demonstrating his dedication to community health.

Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomas exhibited exceptional leadership by recruiting and coordinating 60 volunteers to support Sayre Health’s vaccine and testing clinic. His strategic initiatives and ability to mobilize resources led to securing $500K in federal funding, resulting in the establishment of a community center at the clinic.

Aysenur (Ayse) Musaogullari graduated summa cum laude from John Carroll University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a minor in Peace, Justice, and Human Rights. Prior to joining Pritzker, Ayse performed clinical and translational research in glaucoma at the Havener Eye Institute in Columbus, Ohio. During this time, she also partnered with a non-profit organization and worked on several projects to improve health access and literacy for refugees and asylum seekers.

At Pritzker, Ayse is the Co-Director of the Maria Shelter Free Clinic, which serves women and children experiencing homelessness on the South Side. Currently, she is exploring her research and clinical interests in ophthalmology and global health.

An aspiring physician-scientist, Hecong completed his undergraduate studies at Sun Yat-sen University in China and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering at UCSF and UC Berkeley. His dissertation research focused on developing and translating novel MRI techniques targeting cancer metabolism to identify aggressive cancers and evaluate therapeutic responses. 

While in the Bay Area, Hecong volunteered as a community healthcare worker at the Berkeley Free Clinic for six years, including two years as a section coordinator. Working with and learning from vulnerable patients at the clinic strengthened his passion for health equity, patient advocacy, and building trust with patients. At the Pritzker School of Medicine, Hecong continues to conduct basic science research and engage in community service. He serves as a class representative to Pritzker’s Identity and Inclusion (i2i) committee, as well as on the board of the Bridgeport Free Clinic and Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA).