Women's History Month | Emory School of Medicine

2025 Features

The Emory Alliance for Women in Medicine and Science (EAWiMS) is excited to celebrate Women’s History Month. Exceptional rising star female faculty and staff members here at Emory School of Medicine were interviewed in celebration and honor of Women’s History Month. We invite you to read their stories to learn more about how being a woman in their field has impacted their career and their advice for other women.

Selen Bozkurt Biomedical Informatics

What are you most passionate about in your field?
I am passionate about exploring how health data is created, shared, and utilized to improve patient care. I am particularly drawn to the ways AI can uncover patterns and insights in complex, fragmented data, turning it into actionable knowledge that can make a real difference in healthcare.

Who has inspired you in your drive to advance?
Strong, successful women who persevere through challenges while staying true to their beliefs and empathy inspire me deeply. Women like Türkan Saylan, who made impactful contributions despite difficult circumstances, remind me of the power of resilience and compassion. Their journeys motivate me to approach my work with determination and humanity, striving to create meaningful change.

Are there unique contributions that being a woman allows you to bring to science or medicine?
Empathy is one of the most significant contributions I bring as a woman in science. In a male-dominated field like AI, much of the focus on fairness and equity in research has emerged from women. I believe this perspective is vital to ensure that the technologies we develop are inclusive, ethical, and truly serve all communities.

Angela Vaz Pediatrics

What are you most passionate about in your field?
I am most passionate about having the opportunity to support the many strong, resilient, and brave children with whom I work every day! Helping children faced with chronic medical conditions endure, manage, and thrive despite the unimaginably challenging circumstances with which they are faced is what it is all about. The privilege to be a part of their treatment journey is something I never take for granted.

Who has inspired you in your drive to advance?
Throughout my training years and career thus far, I have been fortunate to have a strong support system consisting of leaders and peers who have provided guidance, offered support, and advocated on my behalf, and this has been crucial in my journey to becoming a Pediatric Psychologist within an academic medical center. One such individual, Dr. Kimberly Renk (my graduate school mentor), played a crucial role in the very beginning. Dr. Renk provided the foundation from which I was able to forge my own path in pursuing my career goals and aspirations. In addition, Dr. Renk provided me with a compass from which to gauge what it truly means to be a compassionate and principled psychologist and human being. To this day, when faced with a challenging circumstance, I still find myself saying, “What Would Kim Do?”.

Are there unique contributions that being a woman allows you to bring to science or medicine?
As women working in medicine, I think our contributions are vast. Women bring increased compassion and empathy to the medical field and are oftentimes able to better connect on an emotional level, which allows patients and families to not only feel as though they are being cared for but also understood. On a personal level, being a mother affords me the opportunity to connect with my patients and their caregivers in a unique way. Having that shared experience to draw from enhances my clinical work and understanding of what it is truly like to have that bond and responsibility for everything that goes into caring for a child while also juggling life.

Reema Dbouk Medicine

What are you most passionate about in your field?
I am deeply passionate about shifting the perception of obesity from a personal failing to a recognized chronic disease and dismantling the pervasive stigma that surrounds it. One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is helping patients break free from self-blame and embrace a compassionate, evidence-based approach to their health. I am particularly driven by the racial and ethnic disparities in obesity treatment and am committed to closing this gap by advocating for equitable access to care and culturally responsive interventions. While the field of obesity medicine has made significant strides, I believe we are only beginning to scratch the surface. There is still much work to be done, and I am dedicated to advancing progress in both research and patient care.

Who has inspired you in your drive to advance?
My drive to advance has been shaped by my experience as a child of first-generation immigrants and as a parent to three children. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the resilience, sacrifice, and determination my parents demonstrated in building a better future for our family. Their unwavering commitment to education, hard work, and community service instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility to pursue
opportunities not just for myself, but for those around me. Now, as a parent, I am further motivated to create a meaningful impact. I want to set an example for my children, showing them that perseverance, continuous learning, and a commitment to making a difference can open doors and inspire change.

Are there unique contributions that being a woman allows you to bring to science or medicine?
My experiences as a woman have reinforced the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and emotional intelligence in medicine—qualities that are crucial for fostering supportive healthcare environments and advancing team-based care. Women’s contributions to science and medicine have historically been underrecognized, but our ability to challenge traditional paradigms, advocate for equity, and approach complex problems with empathy makes us invaluable to the future of healthcare.

Saidie Rodriguez Pediatrics

What are you most passionate about in your field?
I am most passionate about the children. They are my greatest inspiration, teachers and motivators. Children remind us of the most simple truths that bring us back to presence, connection, love, hope, and joy. It's in their very nature. They hold sacred wisdom just by being exactly who they are. The desire to protect our most vulnerable and restore hope for the future has given rise to entire fields of medicine. I'm so proud to be part of a history rich in dreamers, innovators and multitudes of healers. A beautiful and complex ecosystem of creation, love and science to defend and nurture the reverence of life itself.

I work with critically ill children who have congenital heart disease. There is a delicate irony that on the surface, they have fragmented hearts, but in repurposing their anatomy we restore a greater wholeness. A wonderful parallel unfolds: as this fragile new physiology finds harmony, and the body makes peace with this disruption… we too surrender fear to courage and grief to gratitude. May we continue to allow the mysteries of science, the sanctity of innocent life, and the inspiration of love fuel our sacrifice and guide us to deeper knowing.

Who has inspired you in your drive to advance?
Transitioning from 12 years of training to being a faculty was one of the most challenging seasons of my life. It was a dark and secret pain that is difficult to convey. During that time, there were five women that were pillars of light for me. In part, these women are why I am still here today.

Each one of them had a unique characteristic that I yearned to experience, embody or express. Alaa Aljiffry, CICU, represented the highest expression of dedication. Shanelle Clarke, CICU, represented the highest expression of joy. Holly Bauser-Heaton, Cath, represented the highest expression of rigorous excellence. Ritu Sachdeva, Imaging, expressed the highest expression of feminine regality. Subi Shashidharan, CT Surgeon, expressed the highest expression of fierce passionate advocacy.

These incredible women represented difference races, sub-specialties, religions, and cultures. Yet, they all had one thing in common – a light so bright, it restored my hope that maybe one day, just maybe, I too could find a fraction of their strength. They were living breathing examples of what was possible. Hope was not lost.

The most remarkable thing is that they didn't know any of this at the time. They were simply being their most authentic expression of self. I think that is the most powerful message of all. We are too quick to judge and measure our inadequacies, faults, deficiencies, and weakness. To not fully appreciate the miracle that each of us are. May you remember that your light is a gift, even when we can't see it… you never know who you might be a beacon for, simply by being yourself.

Are there unique contributions that being a woman allows you to bring to science or medicine?
I believe each of us have divine masculine and divine feminine qualities inside, no matter our orientation or sex. I am humbled and honored to live in an age where we are collectively returning to reintegrate, honor and remember the ancient wisdom of wholeness and interconnectedness. It is not only women but all those expanding culture, lifestyle, and medicine—those who embrace the multi-dimensional experience of being human—who are blazing the trail. To me, this means having the capacity to hold the human dichotomies. To be soft and strong. To be empathetic and rigorous. To lead and to follow. To intuit and to reason.

In this current era of rising, yes, each woman is trailblazer simply by being a woman and honoring her fullest, most authentic expression of self. We are needed now, more than ever, to be exactly as we are - untamed and unapologetic. All women are leaders, disruptors and healers to medicine. When we live exactly as we are—embodying our gifts, creativity, compassion, and innovation—we not only empower ourselves, we inspire humanity’s evolution.

Briana R. Lewis Medicine

What are you most passionate about in your field?
The balance between clinical care and procedures in gastroenterology offers a dynamic and rewarding experience. You get to engage with patients, diagnosing and managing a wide range of digestive issues, while also having the hands-on aspect of performing procedures like endoscopies and colonoscopies. I also enjoy the intersection of gastroenterology with mental health, exploring how stress or psychological conditions impact digestion.

Who has inspired you in your drive to advance?
When I was a medical student, I was inspired to pursue gastroenterology after doing an internal medicine subspecialty rotation with Dr. Jessica Trevino. I admired the confidence she displayed as the only female gastroenterologist within her division and appreciated the time she shared to introduce me into the field. Many underrepresented women have continued to pour into my career. Dr. Puja Elias has been an incredible mentor to me especially while I was a fellow at MUSC. Her dedication to both her professional life and her personal one is something that’s not only admirable but also serves as a powerful example of work-life balance in a challenging field like gastroenterology. Last but not least, my patients have always been a vital part of my drive to be excellent in my field.

Are there unique contributions that being a woman allows you to bring to science or medicine?
Absolutely! Being a woman in science and medicine can bring unique perspectives and strengths. Many women in the field are great advocates for empathy, patient-centered care, and collaboration, which are crucial in fields like gastroenterology where long-term relationships with patients and multidisciplinary teamwork are essential.

Women also often approach problem-solving with a combination of creativity, adaptability, and attention to detail. This can be especially beneficial when considering the complexities of medical cases, designing patient care plans, or developing new research. Additionally, women in medicine can offer diverse viewpoints in decision-making processes, helping challenge conventional norms, and promoting more inclusive approaches.

In terms of representation, being a woman in science can also inspire other women and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in these fields which is my story into the field of gastroenterology.

My patients often share that my best gift is being a great listener. When you truly listen, it not only helps in understanding their symptoms better but also gives them a sense of validation and reassurance. It’s often those small details in the patient’s story that can make a big difference in diagnosis and treatment. It also helps build rapport when patients may have to share "awkward" details about their GI symptoms.

Sheila Rauch Psychology

What are you most passionate about in your field?
As a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, I am most passionate about getting treatments that work out to the people who need them, in a form that they can use, and at a time that they can benefit. Most of my work focuses on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and effective interventions for PTSD are working against the very nature of PTSD- avoidance. What this means is that our models of intervention need to include the elements that we know drive change and reduction of symptoms, like exposure/approaching the trauma memory and reminders. In addition, in order to really reach the most people who need it they need to be easily available in many settings and forms so that in the moment that someone with PTSD decides to make a change to address their PTSD there is an effective treatment they can access quickly and see reduction of symptoms quickly. In my work I focus on the development and modification of effective PTSD treatments for use in other settings (such as primary care) and other modes of access (massed, telehealth, web based, apps). I also work to examine how these treatments work in the brain. I work to figure out what are the mechanisms involved in change so that we can make the treatments work better, faster, and for more people. Finally, I am passionate about suicide prevention looking at suicide risk, the role of pain in suicide risk and the impact of effective mental health and pain treatments on suicide risk. Effective treatment saves lives and getting treatment to those who needs it is a piece of a solution.

Who has inspired you in your drive to advance?
I have been fortunate to have excellent scientific mentors and have been surrounded by amazing colleagues, collaborators, and trainees throughout my career. They have given me and continue to give me the skills, support, and resilience to weather the difficulties of academic medicine in research and clinical spheres. There are too many names for me to single out anyone as I really believe I am standing on the shoulders of giants in my work. In addition to these academic inspirations, my core inspiration are the many patients I have worked with in clinical care and research trials. Approaching trauma memories and reminders takes courage. Every patient with PTSD who presents for care and works with me or my trainees or providers in my research trials to approach their trauma and take their life back from PTSD is an inspiration. I am constantly learning from their experience and their courage and resilience.

Are there unique contributions that being a woman allows you to bring to science or medicine?
As is true for all scientists, my identity and experience shape my science and practice. The questions I value, the ideas I generate, and even the preferences I have in practice are all shaped by my identity in ways that I cannot really disentangle. My awareness of this influence allows me the opportunity to be mindful of these influences and work to ensure I allow for new ideas and other perspectives to continually inform my work. Many aspects of my identity inform my science including my sex and gender, my experience as a childhood cancer survivor, my race/ethnicity, past life experiences, my religion, etc. I have learned the most in my science at those times when I have considered other perspectives to move ahead rather than staying in the same track. I believe my willingness to know that multiple perspectives can all contain pieces of the Truth comes partially from working as a woman in science for my career.