Vikram Sambasivan
Global Health/Economics Major
Pronouns: he/him
Current Research Project: I am currently a part of an OB/GYN lab in the School of Medicine conducting research into the effects of PFAS on various parts of the body. In previous projects, we examined impacts on purkinje cell morphology, movement, heart health (for both pregnant and non-pregnant cohorts); now I am looking impacts on antibody levels in rabbits as well as assisting in other projects. Additionally, I am a part of the SRT-Pamlico program through the Duke Global Health Institute where I investigated the relationships between disaster impact and mental health in a rural, coastal community in eastern North Carolina.
How he got involved with research: Research is the main thing which attracted me to Duke. I first got involved in my second week on campus when I, serendipitously, heard a senior looking to hire a freshman to work on his Thesis project. That allowed me to get involved in my lab, giving me the experience I needed to gain my position on the SRT-Pamlico team through a normal application process (although I was one of two freshman ever selected for the program).