Danielle Castro

Having lived in Peru as a child, I’m fortunate to have a profound connection with my Peruvian and Indigenous heritage, but I’ve also been exposed to the many challenges in healthcare that the country faces. Particularly in rural areas and in Indigenous communities, extreme poverty, low educational attainment, and gender inequities prevent health improvements, as do cultural health beliefs. I am thus interested in understanding and working on health challenges in South American communities and have thus joined the Global Health Scholars program, even as I learn about medicine and the molecular mechanisms of disease as a Molecular Biochemistry & Biophysics major. As part of my dedication to low-income and minority communities, I volunteer at the HAVEN Free Clinic and intern at the Fair Haven Elementary School, while also doing coronavirus research at the medical school.

Areas of research and geographical interest:

Women’s health and Indigenous health, gender disparities, particularly in South America