title: About link: https://claireduvallet.wordpress.com/about/ author: cduvallet description: post_id: 2 created: 2016/05/30 01:58:53 created_gmt: 2016/05/30 01:58:53 comment_status: closed post_name: about status: publish post_type: page

About

I’m a PhD student in the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT. I work in Eric Alm’s lab, studying the relationship between the human microbiome and health and disease. More generally, I’m interested in applying personalized medicine approaches for public health. I’m passionate about making local impact to move our society toward a more just ideal. That means learning about and working for increased diversity and equity in STEM and technical approaches for social good. When I’m not in lab doing research, I spend my time working to improve the BE Department student experience as one of the BE Graduate Student Board Diversity co-Chairs and as a member of the BE REFS. As Diversity co-Chair, I’m especially proud of having co-started the BE Application Assistance Program and co-written the BE Department’s Community Values Statement. Through REFS, I’ve learned conflict management skills that have positively impacted almost every aspect of my life. When I’m not doing those things, I’m probably outside chasing after a frisbee. Through my involvement in the sport first in Cambodia and now on MIT’s women’s team, I’ve become passionate about sport’s ability to drive social change and push gender equity forward. Before moving to Boston, I lived for a year in Cambodia working for Engineering World Health as a Luce Scholar. Before that, I studied biomedical engineering at Columbia University.