Fellowship Project: Digitize disability data and vital statistics collected in Puducherry, and conduct critical data analysis in order to identify socioeconomic/biological patterns and trends. The insights gained from this study will then be utilized for the development of efficient and targeted interventions.

Highlights: Samhita Vadapalli is serving as an American India Foundation (AIF) Fellow with Satya Special School, in Puducherry. She is a Biotechnology and Genomics graduate, and has completed both a Bachelor of Science, and a Master of Business and Science in Biotechnology from Rutgers University. Her previous work experience has included bioinformatics research, genetic experimentation and data analysis, where she worked on a wide range of research projects focusing on the karyotyping of embryos, drug target development and molecular docking simulations. In addition to this, she has served as a tutor with the Petey Greene Program and worked with incarcerated students to help them fulfill their educational goals in New Jersey’s correctional facilities, throughout her undergraduate studies. Her area of interest lies in the utilization of data mining and informatics within the public health and developmental sectors for the establishment of improved healthcare interventions and management practices. She firmly believes that scientific innovation must be accompanied by inclusivity and accessibility in order to develop long-term and sustainable solutions to some of the most pressing issues in our world today. Her goal for her career is to partake in the building of healthier societies through innovative biological research and grassroots work.