Karen Tai departed for Oxford University on September 29 where she will attend on a $32,350 Rotary Global Scholarship funded by Rotary Districts 5770, 5830, 5680 and 5810 and Rotary Clubs of North Shore, Pasadena and Lake Houston Area as well as DAF from Rotarians Sandy and Bud Forster. Oxford has agreed to match Rotary’s scholarship yielding total funding of $62,000.
Karen recently graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a BS and M.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Although she has lived in several places such as Las Cruces, NM, she considers Houston, TX her home, where she has resided for the past 17 years.
Dear Rotary Global Scholar Sponsors:
Karen Tai departed for Oxford University on September 29 where she will attend on a $32,350 Rotary Global Scholarship funded by:
Rotary Districts 5770, 5830, 5680 and 5810 and Rotary Clubs of North Shore, Pasadena and Lake Houston Area as well as DAF from Rotarians Sandy and Bud Forster. Oxford has agreed to match Rotary’s scholarship yielding total funding of $62,000.
While in Houston Karen spoke at the three Rotary clubs that helped fund her scholarship.
(Here’s the report of her Lake Houston Rotary visit: https://lharotary.com/Stories/yale-grad-to-study-at-oxford-with-help-from-rotary )
(Here’s the report of her Lake Houston Rotary visit: https://lharotary.com/Stories/yale-grad-to-study-at-oxford-with-help-from-rotary )
Karen recently graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a BS and MS in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Although she has lived in several places such as Las Cruces, NM, she considers Houston, TX her home, where she has resided for the past 17 years.
As an aspiring physician-scientist, Karen is interested in the intersection between biotechnology, medicine, and social policy, especially with respect to the development of affordable treatments for cancer and access to healthcare among marginalized populations. Karen has conducted research at several institutions including MIT and Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
At MIT, Karen worked with a team of researchers and uncovered the mechanism by which pancreatic cancer drives tissue wasting in clinical patients. This work was later published in Nature, with Karen as a co-author. At Yale, Karen developed a novel imaging technology to characterize metabolic profiles for cancer cells with varying mutations.
As an aspiring physician-scientist, Karen is interested in the intersection between biotechnology, medicine, and social policy, especially with respect to the development of affordable treatments for cancer and access to healthcare among marginalized populations. Karen has conducted research at several institutions including MIT and Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
At MIT, Karen worked with a team of researchers and uncovered the mechanism by which pancreatic cancer drives tissue wasting in clinical patients. This work was later published in Nature, with Karen as a co-author. At Yale, Karen developed a novel imaging technology to characterize metabolic profiles for cancer cells with varying mutations.
Although Karen spends a significant amount of her time in the laboratory, she devotes her weekends to volunteering at HAVEN Free Clinic, a student-run clinic servicing the undocumented and uninsured. Karen has been a volunteer for four years in the social services department, where she helps patients secure access to lifesaving medications, debt-free medical care, free grocery delivery, and rent assistance.
She is a firm believer of addressing health from multiple dimensions, including the social, and aspires to craft effective measures to improve access to quality healthcare in under-resourced communities at home and abroad. Karen is also active in several organizations such as the Yale Hunger & Homeless Action Project and STEM & Health Equity Advocates, which she co-founded and serves as co-director. She is also a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, a Rosenfeld Science Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa member, and the recipient of several prizes and fellowships.
She is a firm believer of addressing health from multiple dimensions, including the social, and aspires to craft effective measures to improve access to quality healthcare in under-resourced communities at home and abroad. Karen is also active in several organizations such as the Yale Hunger & Homeless Action Project and STEM & Health Equity Advocates, which she co-founded and serves as co-director. She is also a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, a Rosenfeld Science Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa member, and the recipient of several prizes and fellowships.
With generous support provided by the Rotary Global Grant Scholarship, Karen is grateful and excited to begin the next step of her journey studying Global Health Science & Epidemiology at Oxford. This program will equip her with the knowledge and skills to pursue her goal of treating noncommunicable diseases like cancer in a manner that also prevents disease, enhances public health education, and promotes the long-term well-being of communities.
Karen asked me to thank y’all.
Sincerely,
Bill Davis
Rotary Cadre Technical Advisor
The Rotary Foundation
Scholarship co-chair District 5890
Member Rotary Club of Lake Houston Area (formerly Humble)
Honorary member Rotary Club of San Jose de Cucuta, Colombia
Billyd2319@gmail.com
Rotary Cadre Technical Advisor
The Rotary Foundation
Scholarship co-chair District 5890
Member Rotary Club of Lake Houston Area (formerly Humble)
Honorary member Rotary Club of San Jose de Cucuta, Colombia
Billyd2319@gmail.com