Growing up in Collierville, Tenn., Medha Vijayanand developed an early interest in how science could be used to promote health in meaningful, equitable ways. This interest led her to earning both a B.S. in Genetics and Genomic Sciences and an M.P.H. in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where her academic path began to converge around bioinformatics, population health, and health equity.
Vijayanand’s research interests focus on using bioinformatics to uncover and address health disparities in genomics—particularly within diverse and underrepresented populations. She is passionate about developing predictive models that combine genetic, environmental, and cultural data to support more inclusive and effective public health interventions.
She chose the Applied Biomedical Data Sciences program at the St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for its unique blend of cutting-edge research, mentorship, and mission-driven work. For Vijayanand, the chance to learn from leaders in genomics and precision medicine while contributing to St. Jude’s global mission made the program an ideal fit.
Beyond the classroom, Vijayanand brings hands-on experience from a public health internship in Vellore, India, where she helped design culturally tailored health interventions. She has also served as a Mental Health Ambassador and pursued independent training in Python, Linux, and data structures—further building the technical and communication skills she hopes to apply in a future rooted in research, equity, and impact.
Hometown: Collierville, TN
Education:
2025 - MPH, Epidemiology – University of Alabama at Birmingham
2025 - BS, Genetics and Genomic Sciences – University of Alabama at Birmingham
Awards/Honors/Scholarships:
2024 - University of Alabama at Birmingham Sparkman Center for Global Health Case Competition - 1st place
2023 - Order of Omega Greek Honors
2021 - Presidential Scholarship