My name is Sein (she/her) and I’m honored to be on Student Council! I was born in Seoul, South Korea, but I’ve called Pittsburgh, PA home for most of my life. After studying Biomedical Engineering and Molecular Biology at Yale, I spent my gap year working as a policy intern at the NIH and as a clinical research coordinator at Penn Medicine. I’m interested in realigning healthcare payment models and social policies in the U.S. to better support patients in their health journeys.

As part of Student Council, I’m excited to pursue a variety of goals: create tools that streamline daily life, act as a strong-standing bulwark for student-first policies, and help advocate for the communities and causes that HMS and HSDM students are passionate about.

Outside of school, you can find me lifting, crocheting plushies, doing street photography, or listening to news/politics podcasts and movie analysis videos.
 

Hi friends! I’m Sam and I’m originally from Sanford, a small town in North Carolina. I went to UNC Asheville for college (Go Bulldogs!) where I studied Chemistry and Neuroscience. After that I worked to develop novel cancer immunotherapies at the NIH before moving up to Boston, where I’m loving the biking/hiking/cafes/and awesome HMS community. I’m on StuCo to work towards and support that thriving, inclusive, community for all, and would love to chat with anyone about our collective ideas or work! We can discuss in the mountains, over a meal, or between typing away in TMEC. 

Matthew Elmore Merritt is a medical student at Harvard Medical School. He grew up on his family’s cattle farm in Bridgeport, Alabama, and he received his B.A. in Black Studies and Global Health Studies at Yale University. Matthew was awarded the David Everett Chantler Award, given to the Yale College Senior “who has best exemplified the qualities of courage, strength of character, and high moral purpose." At Harvard Matthew received full funding for his medical degree through the Dean’s REACH Scholarship in recognition of his “resilience, excellence, achievement, compassion, and commitment to helping the underserved.” He plans to practice pediatric oncology, through which he hopes to attenuate critical barriers to accessing lifesaving care in underserved rural communities. Matthew believes in the power and resilience of strong communities, our most essential tool in shaping a more equitable health system.

Hi everyone, I’m Zeren, and I am thrilled to be involved in student council this year.  As the first person in my immediate family born in the United States—my name, Zeren Evin, means "Wise Seed" in Turkish. I am from Guilford, CT. I went to undergrad at Yale, where I majored in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and graduated in May 2024. I am very interested in cardiology, and for the past 3 years (and during my gap year) my research at Yale has been focused on elucidating the metabolic underpinnings of atrial fibrillation. I am also really passionate about volunteer initiatives aimed at addressing food insecurity and health inequities in underserved communities. 

Outside of medicine, I enjoy cooking (my specialties are handmade pasta and creme brûlée), hiking, traveling (my favorite place to visit is Italy), watching TV shows and movies, playing basketball and spikeball, and cheering on my favorite hockey team, the Bruins.
 

Hi all, my name is Joe Ernst and I am super excited to be a part of the team on the student assembly. I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and I love to chat about all things NOLA, seafood, mardi gras, the bayou, gumbo, and all of the above. Before arriving here, I studied Neuroscience and Behavior with minors in Philosophy and Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and post grad I spent 2 years accompanying  Community Health Workers in Chiapas Mexico and more broadly throughout Central and South America. Beyond medicine,  I am particularly passionate about labor and community organizing especially in the healthcare and community health settings. I also love to fill up my free time by being active in the gym, walking around while the weather is nice, chatting and cooking with friends, and listening to podcasts and audiobooks!

Hi everyone! My name is Bharat Srirangam and I am excited to serve as your General Council Treasurer. I am from Lexington, Massachusetts though I have also lived all over the country. I graduated from Georgia Tech with a major in computer science and worked in the tech industry as a software engineer for 4 years. I then pivoted careers and completed a premed postbac program at Columbia before coming to HMS. In my free time, I really love yapping with folks, playing board games with friends, rock climbing, running, watching Disney movies, reading and cooking Indian food.

Hi! My name is Kaitlin and I’m so excited to represent HST on Student Council! I’m originally from Hinsdale, IL, and I graduated from Penn in 2025 with a degree in bioengineering. Outside of medicine, I love running, workout classes, traveling, and exploring the Boston restaurant scene. I’m excited to plan events and initiatives that build community within our class as part of StuCo this year!

Hi everyone, I’m Anoushka (she/her)! I’m super excited to be on the HMS Student Council representing Peabody (the best society, obv). A little about me, in case you’re curious! I was born and raised in Los Gatos, California (Go Wildcats!). I stayed close to home for college and studied neuroscience and clinical ethics at Stanford, and then pursued an MPhil in Medical Philosophy at Cambridge (the older one) this past year. Outside of medicine, I love making/listening to podcasts, going to hot yoga classes, practicing my digital photography (especially with the new fall colors!), exploring new coffee shops with friends, and discovering new music on Spotify. 

Hi everyone! My name is Ellen and I’m so excited to be representing the best society! I grew up in Newton, MA and graduated from Harvard College where I studied Chemistry and Asian American Studies. Before arriving, I conducted cardiogenetics research at Boston Children’s Hospital and worked in healthcare consulting. Outside of medicine, I love running, listening to podcasts, reading and writing, and exploring new cafes with friends.

Heyooo! My name is Varna Kanapuram, and I’m so excited to rep Hinton this year! I was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California. I went to the University of Southern California for college (fight on.) where I ✌️and got my bachelor’s in Human Biology and master’s in Healthcare Decision Analysis. During my gap year, I was a Surgical Scholar at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on the Orthopedic Service. Outside of medicine, I love lifting, playing music, and screwing around. 

Hi everyone! My name is Rachel “Castle” Sturley. I grew up in New York City and studied English and Gender/Sexuality Studies at Princeton. In my gap years, I did graduate work in Narrative Medicine and worked in basic science research. I have been dancing since childhood and also love to cook, read, and write.