Avighna Phanibatla is a junior at The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in biology with a minor in English and a certificate in pre-health professions. On campus, Phanibatla served as the professional chair for the pre-medical fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon, has been involved in Students Expanding American Literacy as a student mentor, and has contributed to the Advocacy and Belonging Board of the Daily Texan. For the past two years, she has conducted research on mRNA screening as an undergraduate assistant in Dr. Andrew Ellington’s Molecular Biology Lab. Committed to advancing health equity, Phanibatla spent her previous summer volunteering as a patient advocate in Bellevue Hospital’s emergency department and led an initiative to improve palliative care education for patients at Tisch Hospital. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and integrate her passions for clinical care and public health policy.