Ambika V
- Research Program Mentor

DVM candidate at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)

Expertise

global health, access to medicine, veterinary

Bio

Hi! My name is Ambika Verma and I graduated from UCLA about three years ago, after studying Human Biology and Society, Global Health, and Professional Writing. I am now a second year at University of Pennsylvania's Veterinary Medicine program and I am so excited about continuing my academic journey in a field I love. In my two gap years between, I've been able to develop my love for photography and to photograph around 100 live music events, New York Fashion Week, and so many other incredible opportunities. I also have been able to travel and focus on building solid habits before matriculating. Excited to meet you!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Climate Change Impact Beyond Humans

How does Climate Change affect wildlife? - How do scientists predict climate change to affect wildlife in the coming years? - How has it already impacted wildlife? - Students can focus on a certain animal population or region. - Potential outcomes include an app (an interactive app for kids to learn more about how climate change has impacted animal populations, maybe with games), essay, or presentation.

Lyme Disease Bacteria Vaccine

- At the intersection of public health and veterinary medicine, explain where scientists are at with the development of this vaccine. What challenges do they face? How does vaccine licensing and access to vaccines potentially impact the end outcome? Where is Lyme Disease most prevalent? - Potential outcomes include an essay or presentation!

Languages I know

Spanish, beginner to intermediate; Hindi, intermediate

Teaching experience

- Created my own class at UCLA through their Undergraduate Student Initiated Education (USIE) program. I spent the two quarters prior enrolled in a foundational class which taught us techniques of pedagogy before teaching an interactive, weekly seminar about access to medicines online to ~25 students. - Served as a Learning Assistant at UCLA for a Calculus-based class for two quarters - here I came to classes biweekly and helped students work through difficult calculus problems. - Together Educating and Advocating Community Health (TEACH): Mentored at-risk elementary students through a UCLA program in Venice, California and designed and presented weekly public health modules.

Credentials

Work experience

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) (2018 - 2021)

UCLA CHAPTER PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER

Access to Medicines Intern (2020 - 2020)

Public Citizen

Access to Medicines Intern (2021 - 2022)

Medicines San Frontiers

Education

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

BS Bachelor of Science (2021)

Human Biology and Society

University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)

DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine candidate

Veterinary Medicine

Completed Projects

How can the development and application of antiviral peptide therapy be used to treat Parvovirus in endangered species, and how does this therapy compare to the treatments already on the market?