• Title: Dr. Ellamae Simmons Leadership Award; Belonging & Community Impact Award

A winner of multiple awards this year, junior Biomedical Science major from Mason, Ohio, Meera Rajeev, is on a mission to address the lack of cultural knowledge health care providers have about South Asian women. Based on her own experiences with healthcare and those of her peers, Meera designed a qualitative analysis of South Asian mental health at Ohio State University, focusing explicitly on the intersection of South Asian race and gender, for which she received a Health Equity Scholars Grant to fund her research. In her research, Meera is leading a dynamic team of peers and mentors, where she fosters collaborative efforts and actively listens to diverse perspectives. She also co-founded OSU Red Saree, a club committed to educating South Asians about heart health, as this population is disproportionately impacted by heart disease worldwide. She plans to continue working towards addressing health disparities and mental health challenges for South Asian women after graduation in both research roles and as she pursued her MD to become a pediatrician.