Samhita is a medical student at Meharry Medical College, in the class of 2027. Originally from South Brunswick, New Jersey, Samhita attended college at the University of Pittsburgh. There, she majored in Microbiology with minors in Chemistry and Religious Studies, and earned a certificate in Managing
Health Services Programs and Projects. While at the University of Pittsburgh, Samhita conducted research in alcohol related liver diseases under the mentorship of Dr. Ramon Bataller.

 

Since graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020, she has continued to work with Dr. Bataller. From 2020 to 2023, she helped to conduct a clinical trial and observational studies in alcoholic hepatitis and other liver diseases under the mentorship of Dr. Bataller and Dr. Jaideep Behari. She has also had the great
opportunity of being an author on several papers including “Colder Weather and Fewer Sunlight Hours Increase Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol Cirrhosis Worldwide”, and “Psychological interventions to treat alcohol use disorder in patients with liver disease” among many others.

 

In the pursuit of further education with an immense interest in the field of public health, Samhita attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. She graduated in 2023 with a master’s in public health specializing in Pathogenesis, Eradication, and Laboratory Practice from the Department of
Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. During her time at the School of Public Health, Samhita presented her master’s thesis, “Outcomes in Patients with Alcoholic Hepatitis May be Affected by When an Infection is Presented” during the department’s annual Research Day, where she won first place. She also earned numerous distinctions from the School of Public Health including the Bob Yee Scholarship, the Dean’s Service Award, and was inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.

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As a medical student at Meharry Medical College, Samhita continues to be involved in research and public health. After meeting Dr. Caldwell during class and coincidentally realizing they were both from the NJ/NYC area, Samhita joined him and his team in pursuit of their many activities and events including being an ambassador for Dry January USA. As part of Dry January USA, Samhita has helped to spread awareness of sobriety and the effects of alcohol consumption. She continues to enjoy being a part of this movement and looks forward to the many more events that the team is planning for the future.