Anjali Patel

Community-Academic Scholar: Anjali Patel (she/her)

Project: Anjali worked with Prof. Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (C-UPHD) to explore women's experiences caring for their infants while enduring postpartum pain and depressed mood to expand current literature, influence the directions of future research, and help inform community-based interventions in Champaign County. Learn more about the project.

Mentor reflection: Prof. Lara-Cinisomo was impressed with Anjali's responsiveness, attention to detail, and her ability to see how the details of a study fit within the larger objectives of the research. "I hope Anjali was able to see how her contributions to the project has helped set it up for success and that she understands how research helps inform perinatal patient care," said Lara-Cinisomo. "Anjali's skills made it easy to move the project along in a timely manner and she was instrumental in helping us launch the study, which has begun to enroll participants!"

How has participating in this program helped you toward your goals?
I have become more immersed in research and my love for it has grown. I've learned so much about this project as well as research techniques/methods as well. 

What was the most meaningful part of this experience? 
The most meaningful part would be the scholar meetings. I remember the first meeting so vividly and it is easily one of my favorite meetings. It was truly amazing to learn about all the projects and all of the scholars. 

What advice do you have for future scholars or to those who are interested in applying for the program? 
I would advise undergraduate students to apply as it has been one of my most rewarding experiences while in college. It is so great being able to do research alongside peers who are working on different projects. It really opens your mind to issues outside of your current research as well as the people around you.