2027 Changemaker Scholarship Recipients
The Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health (PopFam) is proud to recognize the 2027 recipients of the PopFam Future Changemaker Scholarship, a Chair’s initiative that invests in exceptional graduate students whose scholarship, leadership, and service reflect bold ideas and a deep commitment to underserved communities.
The 2027 Changemaker Scholars bring diverse perspectives, talents, and experiences to some of today’s most pressing population and family health challenges. Together, they embody PopFam’s commitment to scientific rigor, equity, and community-centered public health—and the potential of the next generation to drive meaningful change locally and globally.
Angela Chen, MPH Candidate, 2028 Angela's interest in health literacy and mental health has been shaped by her experience working directly with patients as a bilingual medical assistant. Through this work, she witnessed how individuals' understanding of health information influences their decision-making and ability to navigate the healthcare system. As a leader of Pup Support, a student-led mental health organization at the University of Washington, she leveraged digital media to make mental health resources more accessible and engaging. At PopFam, Angela is dedicated to advancing culturally responsive strategies that improve access to care across both clinical and community settings.
Ahmed Deeb, MPH Candidate, 2028 Ahmed’s work sits at the intersection of medicine, public health, and health systems, shaped by his clinical and biochemistry research experiences and commitment to working with underserved communities. His work has spanned healthcare, education, and clinical research, including the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, alongside years of involvement in education and community-building through the UWC movement. At Columbia, Ahmed hopes to examine surgical care access and health systems in conflict settings, with a particular focus on his hometown, Gaza, Palestine. His long-term goal is to pursue clinical practice while working to better understand and strengthen the systems, policies, and infrastructure that shape access to healthcare.
Manasa Sharma, MPH Candidate, 2028 Manasa's work spans sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), menstrual health, and community health. Her interests have been shaped by her experiences working with community-led, grassroots organizations in Nepal and Uganda, as well as her independent research surrounding global perceptions of menstrual stigmas and taboos. During these formative experiences, she learned the importance of anti-oppressive, ethical, community-led practices within SRHR research, programming, and intervention. With PopFam's training and her commitment to dismantling socioeconomic barriers to health, she strives to strengthen public health systems globally and to contribute to the greater cause of improving health access and literacy.