Nivedita Krishnakumar

Age: 23

Home Town: Princeton, New Jersey

Education: Rutgers University - BS Cell Biology and Neuroscience

Specific Field Interests: Mental Health, Inclusive Care

Placement: Satya Special Education School, Puducherry

Area of Focus: Disability, Mental Health Support

Fellowship Project: Strengthening mental health support for childcare givers for children with disabilities through structured support, counselling, and self-care strategies

Highlights: Nivedita Krishnakumar is an aspiring medical and public health professional passionate about making health knowledge accessible. She believes that health education should reflect every voice, not just the loudest ones. Graduating from Rutgers with a degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience and minors in Sociology and Gender Studies, where she completed her thesis on addiction therapeutics and presented nationally as well as public health research on Black maternal mortality, driven by her passion in the intersection of science and health equity. Seeing a gap in mental health care, she led intergenerational conversations within the South Asian community, creating space to challenge the stigma that often silences families from seeking support. Her commitment to centering overlooked voices in health literacy, brought her to work at a public health non-profit building culturally competent health literacy workshops on women’s health, nutrition, and chronic illness. These experiences reinforced her belief that equitable care begins with accessibility. As an AIF Banyan Impact Fellow with Satya Special School, Nivedita hopes to deepen her understanding of the challenges caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities face and advance advocacy that makes mental health support more inclusive. With the mindset that health conversations start with community building, she hopes to take this experience on her path to becoming a physician-advocate. Outside of work, Nivedita can be found on a hunt to find her next favorite restaurant or experimenting with new art mediums such as calligraphy and painting.