AMWHO UGA

Faiz Syed

I am a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Georgia pursuing a degree in International Affairs on the pre-med track. Outside of AMWHO, I am embracing my role as the Business Director for the Shifa Clinic Athens, a free healthcare clinic serving the uninsured in Athens. I am so excited for this year, especially given the wonderful board and members I serve. I have been in AMWHO since my freshman year and I love how we prioritize the content of the conferences over the competition. In addition to my love for medicine and public policy, I also have a passion for stand-up comedy, and perform in Athens at every opportunity I get. I hope to attend medical school and pursue my dream of becoming an adolescent psychiatrist. My favorite movie is Moneyball and my personal hero is Ellen Degeneres!

Lara Bassil

Hi! My name is Lara Bassil and I’m the Chief of Staff at UGA’s AMWHO chapter! I’m currently a sophomore studying Fashion Merchandising while also getting a French Minor and an Entrepreneurship Certificate. I live in Marietta, GA, but I’ve lived in a bunch of different states and also lived in Lebanon for 4 years. In my free time, I love to style and dress my friends as well as design clothes for models in fashion organizations on campus. An interesting fact about me: I speak 3 languages: English, Arabic, and French. Being a part of AMWHO, in my opinion, is a great way for me to develop my public speaking skills as well as gain valuable knowledge in important subjects that impact everyone in the world - regardless of their majors in college. My favorite movie is Now You See Me and my favorite song is Almost There.

Binal Patel

I am a senior Biology major on the Pre-med track. In my free time I love to travel, cook, watch movies and try new restaurants and food. I have been a part of AMWHO since my freshman year, and have learned so many different topics within global health and also met some amazing people in the field. I love how AMWHO combines so many important skills like networking, public speaking, research and addresses topics that affect us all. My favorite movie is Inception and for song it would have to be “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran.

Vanessa Sachs

I am a second-year at the University of Georgia studying biology and psychology. I am Pre-Med and hope to go into either neurology or psychiatry. Originally from Austin, Texas, I moved to Roswell, Georgia my senior year of high school and learned the importance of having impeccable social skills and a positive outlook on life. AMWHO is an organization that fosters the growth of such social skills and introduces new topics to a diverse group of individuals. As an executive, I get the opportunity to work with amazing individuals on my board and in the club itself. I cannot wait to see what the next few years bring me in AMWHO. My all time favorite movie is Back To the Future and one of my favorite songs is The Heart of Life by John Mayer. 

Rhea Pillai

 I’m a fourth-year Environmental Health Science major with a minor in Art History at UGA. I heard about AMWHO and was drawn to the club because of its focus on integrating public health with policy. I’ve always been interested in learning about the various aspects of the topic, and would like to continue exploring this in my future and career. Public health is such a multifaceted field and I am excited to delve into it more through AMWHO. I help run Public Relations for the UGA AMWHO club, and have loved seeing what the organization represents and what past events have been like. Outside of school, I enjoy going to art museums and exploring new places with amazing food. I played soccer and rowed for a while, so I also love outdoor activities. One of my favorite movies is Mr. Nobody and one of my favorite songs is Valerie by Amy Winehouse.

Tanisha Ghosh

I’m a fourth year Health Promotion major with a minor in Environmental Health Science. I was drawn to AMWHO because it is one of the only organizations on campus that actively integrates public health into policy. Initially, when I joined AMWHO during my first year of college, I was pre-med but after a few years AMWHO made me realize how passionate I am about health policy so I decided that I wanted to pursue law school in the future. In my free time, I love travelling, visiting museums, and writing. Someday I’d love to publish a full-length novel or a series of short stories. My favorite movie is Il a deja tes yeux (He Even Has Your Eyes) and one of my favorite songs is We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off by Ella Eyre.

Rafeeah Samad

My name is Rafeeah Samad, and I am a 4th year Biology major and Global Health Minor on the pre-med track.I was born in Queens,New York, but I grew up in Loganville,GA. I joined AMWHO, because I was intrigued by the public health emphasis that the club focused on. AT my first conference, I knew I made the right choice of joining the AMWHO at UGA team. I met many delegates from across the country and learned a great deal about major public health issues. As someone who wants to enter the medical field, I believe that knowledge about public health is necessary in order to provide proper care to patients. In my free time I like to go to the gym and  watch basketball. My favorite movie series would have to be the Mission Impossible series.

Sahil Dharamrup

I am a Junior at UGA and I’m studying Finance and Pre-law and hope to get into law in the future. I’m from Marietta, Georgia but I’ve also lived in South Carolina for a few years. I’m the Finance director of the club and what drew me in was seeing the different ways I can grow and expand my knowledge and experience. In my free time, I enjoy weightlifting and playing chess. My favorite movie has to be The Dark Knight and one of my favorite songs is Mr. Rager by Kid Cudi. 

RJ Walker

I am a fourth-year Economics major with a minor in Health Policy Management. I am also on the Pre-Med track and getting certificates in Informatics and Spanish. I am from Buford, Ga and have always been interested in the healthcare arena but never thought about it in a global sense until I joined AMWHO. What drew me to AMWHO was the fact that it looked at health on a global scale which intrigued my interest and opened my eyes. I am excited to continue my position of Logistics Chair for this year! Outside of AMWHO, I enjoy playing sports and trying new things. My favorite movie has to be The Dark Night but also have a soft spot for musicals so Grease is ranked pretty high for me. 

Dr. Paula Davis-Olwell

Paula Davis-Olwell is a demographer with expertise in public health nutrition and medical anthropology. Her research on infant feeding in Uganda developed an observational methodology for measuring mothers’ implementation of exclusive breastfeeding. Dr. Davis-Olwell has over 10 years experience conducting research on infant feeding practices and maternal and child health in Africa (Uganda and Ghana). She was on the faculty of Population Studies at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and she has collaborated with faculty at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana.

Dr. Davis-Olwell recently completed an NIH funded fellowship in Complementary and Alternative Medicine in which she studied CAM therapies for depression, including yoga and energy healing. Her research and teaching address present-day public health issues—malnutrition, maternal mortality, mental health, population policy, infectious diseases, refugee health—through a lens of social studies of science and technology. 

She is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Global Health Institute at UGA where she teaches the undergraduate core courses in global health, as well as elective courses in global maternal and child health and global health policy. 

Miriam Berrouet-Frost

Miriam Frost defies conventional definition. She’s a New Yorker who delivers calm, a mother of two boys who exudes an inner peace, and a former manager of corporate customers who knows nothing but empathy. Miriam Frost is a peaceful soul in a world filled with rage – a light at the end of the day.

Born in New York City, Miriam developed much of her career in the financial services industry working for Fortune 500 companies where she managed customers, relationships and merchants. She raised her two boys (both football stars) in Charlotte, North Carolina before landing a promotion with First Data in Atlanta. With a passion for fitness, and the ability to multi-task, she managed fitness centers, gyms and studios at nights and on weekends while working a corporate job.

Miriam loved teaching and motivating people to achieve their fitness goals, but something was missing. Searching for answers, she landed in a hot yoga studio. There she witnessed 100 people in identical rows, balanced and posed, leaning into their sense of self and finding peace. This was a world of encouragement focused on goodness and patience. Here, time was on hold. The madness gave way to meditation, and stress yielded to the deep stretch of longing muscles. She was hooked by the warmth, the spirit, and the meaning of the yoga experience. That night Miriam committed to opening her own yoga studio. In May 2017 she retired from her corporate job, bought a studio, and Stellar Power Yoga was born. Miriam sees her studio as offering more than just yoga – it’s a community of open-minded, judgment-free, and supportive people. Miriam is a RYT® 500 certified Power Yoga instructor. 

There is a courageous spirit in her heart – a fearlessness that can only result from strong passion, self-confidence and love.

Miriam shares her words of wisdom......

Find your purpose.

Be a humanitarian.

Be an earth angel and bless other people.

Don’t do it to look good. Do good when no one is looking.

Start slow and do the work yourself first.

When you prosper, be sure to help others prosper.

Miriam has created a judgment-free world – one of inner balance and a quality of life filled with positive energy. 

Welcome to her passion, her brainchild and her expanding new business – Stellar Power Yoga.

Dr. Zhuo (Adam) Chen

Dr. Zhuo (Adam) Chen is Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; and Li Dak Sum Chair Professor in Health Economics and Co-Director, Centre for Health Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham Ningbo China. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics and M.S. in Statistics from the Iowa State University. Before Dr. Chen joined the University of Georgia in 2017, he was a senior health economist with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). His current research interests include health economics, economics of obesity, mental health, genomics, and economic evaluation. His works have been published in Health Economics, Journal of Health Economics, Genetics in Medicine, Social Science & Medicine, and Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report. He is a recipient of the CDC Excellence in Social and Behavioral Science Research Award in 2013. He served as the President (2017-2018) of the Chinese Economists Society (CES). He led the efforts to establish the China Health Policy and Management Society (CHPAMS) and served as the President of CHPAMS during 2016-2018. He served as the President of the Asian Pacific Islander Employees of CDC/ATSDR during 2014-2016 and was awarded the Civilian Award of Excellence in Diversity by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council in 2016. Dr. Chen serves on the Editorial Board of Journal of Family and Economic Issues, The Chinese Economy, China CDC Weekly, and Anhui Medical and Pharmaceutical Journal. 

Dr. Philip Holmes

Philip Holmes earned his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1992 and completed his post-doctoral training in behavioral neuropharmacology at the Experimental Therapeutics Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health in before joining the UGA faculty in 1995. He is currently Chair of the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program of the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute and Professor in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences Program of the Psychology Department. He is also a faculty member in the AU/UGA Medical Partnership. The Holmes laboratory studies neurotransmitter abnormalities in rodent models of stress, anxiety, and depression with a particular emphasis on catecholamine neurotransmitters and trophic factors. Recently, he has been examining the neurobiological basis for stress resilience with particular focus on the beneficial effects of exercise on neural plasticity. Other research projects examine the impact of synthetic hormones and endocrine disruptors on cognitive functions in rats.

Sharon Rachel

Sharon Rachel, MA, MPH is Interim Director of the Kennedy-Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity in the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Rachel has extensive experience in collaborative public health program development and evaluation within diverse partnerships. She has worked on curriculum development, event planning for meetings and conferences, grant-writing, and manuscript development. Ms. Rachel earned her BA in Women’s Studies and Sociology from the University of South Carolina, her MA in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University, her MPH in Health Education from the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, and is currently pursuing her PhD in Sociology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is trained in peer-to-peer counseling, has supported and advocated for sexual assault survivors, led women’s support groups, and coordinated resources at women’s community and crisis centers. Ms. Rachel has co-authored several publications, created a number of teaching aids and tools, and conducted education and training sessions across the United States.  Ms. Rachel is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. She enjoys running and has completed 5K, 8K, 10K, 15K, half marathon, full marathon, and obstacle races. She also enjoys live music, travelling, and attending cultural events.

Winfred (Wendy) Biddle

Winfred (Wendy) Biddle is a Lecturer and Academic Coach at the University of Georgia. She is responsible for mentoring students as they navigate successful paths in higher education. Her approach is rooted in positive psychology. She coaches students in its empiricially-based strategies to enhance and improve their mental health. She was awarded an Innovative Teaching Award and recognized as a Faculty Ally of the TRIO first-generation student program in 2018.

Dr. Nathan Hansen

Dr. Hansen has dedicated his career to conducting clinically-relevant research, both domestically and internationally, and within both clinical and community settings, focused on the mental health needs of people living with or at risk for HIV infection. Specifically, his research program in Global Mental Health and HIV Prevention aims to (1) address the intersection of mental health problems and HIV risk and infection, (2) reduce the global burden of suffering from mental health problems, and (3) increase the health and quality of life of those living with HIV.