This Fall’s 108 Capstone projects have showcased remarkable creativity, collaboration, and impact. We are proud to spotlight Avantika Aggarwal, Hanna Boughanem and Saanvi Rai for their stand out project In The Grey Zone: Doctoring Post-Dobbs
In The Grey Zone: Doctoring Post-Dobbs is a research-driven magazine that focuses on investigating reproductive health in the United States from the perspective of healthcare providers in states that have some of the most restrictive reproductive health landscapes in the country. With a specific emphasis on Georgia, we strive to understand how clinicians at teaching institutions, such as Emory, evaluate and care for pregnancy-related emergencies amidst restrictive policies. Our work incorporates a variety of interviews to provide a holistic understanding of the stakeholders involved, from the policy makers to those in academia, medical students, impacted communities, and finally, clinicians who have worked in Obstetrics and Gynecology and witnessed changing practices over the last decade. These complexities leave us with a critical set of questions we hope to explore: How do clinicians provide timely, evidence-based care when legal ambiguity shapes decisions? How do these constraints alter the learning environment for medical students and residents? And how do these compounded pressures manifest among policymakers, health systems, and the communities most affected?
More on the authors:
Avantika Aggarwal is a 4th-year Human Biology & Society major with a minor in Global Studies, originally from Arizona. On campus, she is involved in various business and community health-oriented organizations and plans to apply to medical school this year. Avantika is passionate about sustainability, global clinical care, and how digital health tools can be leveraged to enhance patient experience among diverse populations. She is also involved in research at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior and enjoys volunteering in the Los Angeles community through organizations like the Hollywood Food Coalition.
Hanna Boughanem is a fourth year Human Biology & Society student originally from just outside Washington, D.C. At UCLA, she is involved in community outreach and public health organizations and will be applying to medical school this May. Hanna is also involved in psychiatry research at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, and has had experience working with a variety of patient populations. She is passionate about sustainability, women’s health, and expanding access to science education for underserved communities. Growing up in the D.C. area, Hanna was exposed to political advocacy and policy debate from a very young age. This background fueled her interest in exploring the direct impacts of Dobbs on physician decision-making and reproductive care. In her free time, Hanna enjoys reading, yoga, and thrifting.
Saanvi Rai is a third-year Human Biology and Society major from the Bay Area. On campus, she is involved in community service clubs and public health organizations. She conducts non-small cell lung cancer research in the Dubinett Lab and volunteers with the Red Cross. Interested in community health and the ways policy shapes access to care, Saanvi plans to pursue medical school and is especially drawn to women’s health; she hopes to become an OB-GYN. She is passionate about understanding how social determinants of health influence patient outcomes and using that lens to improve care for diverse communities. In her free time, Saanvi enjoys reading suspense novels and playing video games.