Meet with our BSPH Students: The BSPH Program Ambassadors
Below are the current student ambassadors for the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program in Biostatistics. These students are happy to answer questions you may have about the application process, the program, or student life in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, so feel free to reach out through the email addresses posted. Like you, these students are busy with a full schedule of classes and other activities. Not every ambassador can respond to every interested student. We ask that you please contact only one ambassador.
Sara Ahmed
Sara Ahmed
Class of 2025 | sahmed@unc.edu
Sara is a Biostatistics major and Data Science minor from Wilson, NC. She currently works at the Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center on the Hispanic Community Health Study. Previously, she interned at the Carolina Population Center for a year, where she conducted data analysis on a survey examining the impact of hurricanes on residents of eastern North Carolina. She is also involved with the Refugee Support Center at Carolina and serves as co-president of the Undergraduate Biostatistics Student Association.
Advice for a prospective student:
“Don’t hesitate to reach out to current students with any questions! Before applying to the BIOS BSPH program, I talked to students about their experiences which was incredibly helpful.”
Favorite part of the Bios BSPH program: “I’ve enjoyed getting to know others in my cohort and making friends through the several classes we’ve taken together. I also appreciate having access to advisors specific to the major.”
Pranathi Dandu
Pranathi Dandu
Class of 2025 | pdandu@ad.unc.edu
About: Pranathi is a Biostatistics + Neuroscience double major with a minor in Chemistry. She has a strong interest in neurodegenerative diseases and public health related research. Currently, she conducts auditory communication pathway research in Dr. Kato’s lab (UNC Department of Psychiatry) with an interest in autism spectrum disorder. She is the co-president of the Undergraduate Biostatistics Student Association, is a ULA for biochemistry (CHEM 430), and serves as the DAIS Co-Director for AMWHO (American Mock World Health Organization). Following her BSPH degree, Pranathi hopes to continue her research in a clinical setting before applying to MD/PhD programs.
Advice for a prospective student: Reach out to current students and the faculty here to get a better idea of whether the program is a great fit for you! I reached out and found it incredibly helpful to talk to a variety of different students interested in pursuing biostatistics in different capacities such as research and the industry setting!
Favorite part of the BIOS BSPH program:
I love the small cohort and class sizes, it makes it a lot easier to get to know your peers and professors well! I also love the opportunity to take BIOS 691, a course where we hear from individuals working at companies in the biostatistics space, an opportunity that I think is very difficult to find in other departments!
Bridget Lin
Bridget Lin
Class of 2025 | blin2@unc.edu
About:
Bridget is a Biostatistics and Computer Science double major. Outside of class, she works as a research assistant for the UNC School of Medicine and a Teaching Assistant for COMP 110. She is involved with Pearl Hacks, the American Mock World Health Organization, the Minority Health Conference.
Advice for a prospective student:
Talk to professors and current students to get a feel for the major before you apply! They are all so helpful and kind and will really help you get a sense of the curriculum and opportunities available to you.
Favorite part of the BIOS BSPH program:
I love the close-knit community of students and the opportunity to learn from such great professors.
Ananya Raman
Ananya Raman
Class of 2025 | araman@unc.edu
About:
In addition to the BIOS BSPH, Ananya is also pursuing the BSPH-MS dual degree, and hopes to get her MS in biostatistics in May 2026. She has also completed a philosophy minor, purely out of interest! At UNC, her main involvement is with the Virkud Lab within the UNC Food Allergy Initiative at the School of Medicine, which studies the effects of oral immunotherapy on pediatric patients with peanut allergies. In her research, she uses R to analyze patient data, which includes characteristics of each patient and types of adverse events they experience. Outside of UNC, she is currently a year-round intern at SAS Institute on the Government Health Solutions team, where they partner with public health agencies and create solutions for them using SAS products.
Advice for a prospective student:
My biggest piece of advice for prospective students is to really focus on finding an internship in your sophomore or junior year. Although the UNC BIOS education is the full reason for my ability to excel at SAS, I would not have known the value of this program had I not found my internship. A lot of my practical, applicable biostatistics knowledge has come from my time at SAS, where I’m able to practice relevant biostatistical techniques used by the industry. Having an internship related to public health also helps you think about whether you enjoy solving public health problems, or want to explore statistical careers outside of that.
Favorite part of BIOS BSPH
My favorite part of being in the BIOS BSPH is easily the cohort system! Having to take essentially all the major sequence classes with the same group of people facilitates a sort of friendship among students in your year. For example, taking challenging classes such as the infamous MATH 521, a class with majority math majors and only a small group of biostats students, is a unique experience. Going through that together solidified a bond between us resulting from the challenges we had went through, which we would not have had without taking that class!
Maggi Mugi
Maggi Mugi
Class of 2025 | smugi@unc.edu
About:
Sai Meghana (Maggi) is a Biostatistics major and Chemistry minor from High Point, NC. Currently, she is working on her senior honors thesis under Dr. Jasmine Weiss at UNC SOM. She is researching the impact of undergraduate HBCU training on medical students’ intention to serve underserved communities. Maggi also serves as the president of Culinary Medicine at UNC, a club that educates students on nutritionally healthy habits and cooks for members of the Triangle community. Following her BSPH degree, Maggi hopes to go to medical school and pursue her goal of becoming a physician. Outside of academics, she enjoys playing pickleball and spending time with friends.
Advice for a prospective student:
Connect with the amazing professors in the BIOS department early on! They’re not just experts in their fields but also mentors who can guide you through your academic journey and help shape your career goals
Favorite part of the BIOS BSPH program
My favorite part of the BIOS program is both the small family-like cohort and the extremely supportive staff. It’s great being able to recognize peers in BIOS classes and also make close connections with the professors. Everyone is here to support each other!
Lotem Efrat
Lotem Efrat
Class of 2025 | Lefrat@unc.edu
About:
Lotem is a biostatistics major with a mathematics minor. She has been conducting research at the Dayan lab for Neuroinformatics since her Sophomore year, working to advance our understanding of age-related neurological dysfunction using data science and computational approaches. She serves as the co-academic chair of Public Health 360, organizing and leading guest speaker series/panels on diverse research topics in public health. After completing her BSPH she plans on pursuing a PhD.
Advice for a prospective student
My top advice for prospective students is to get involved in research. There are countless opportunities and exciting projects at UNC. Being part of a lab and engaging in research is an invaluable experience to apply your skills to real-world data while contributing to the scientific community.
Favorite part of the BIOS BSPH program
My favorite part of the BIOS BSPH program is in a cohort of students who are passionate about public health and biomedicine. I’ve built valuable friendships and connections with my peers. The BSPH program also offers many opportunities to get involved.
Sadhana Ramesh
Sadhana Ramesh
Class of 2025 | sramesh@unc.edu
About:
Sadhana is majoring in Biostatistics and Mathematics, with a minor in Computer Science. She is involved in research at the EPA, studying the effects of air pollution on heart health. Her interests lie in applying analytical skills to public health. Additionally, she enjoys volunteering with various organizations on campus, such as APPLES.
Advice for a prospective student:
My advice is to explore the diverse areas within biostatistics, such as AI, precision medicine, statistical genetics, and clinical trials. Be sure to engage with the faculty and learn about their research.
Favorite part of the BIOS BSPH program
My favorite aspect of the program is the tight-knit community of BSPH students. The small cohort allows for close relationships with faculty and a supportive learning environment.
