Meet the Team!

Isha Gondi is a recent graduate from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science Studies and a minor in Business Administration. She is currently a G4 Alliance Global SOTA Fellow working on increasing SOTA care in the South Asia region. She is also currently the undergraduate representative for the National GSSA team. Through her position she has planned local as well as national undergraduate events such as case competitions and hackathons. Her favorite part of GSSA is meeting individuals from all over the world who are also interested in creating equitable global SOTA care!

Chaitrali Patil is a junior at the George Washington University majoring in Biology and Statistics. She is the founding President of the GSSA chapter at GWU and the incoming Undergraduate Representative for the National GSSA team. Her favorite part of GSSA is that it is a unique opportunity to connect and lead with other interested students from across the country, while learning and working to address the disadvantages LMICs face in surgical care. 

Noha Elemary is a junior at George Washington University majoring in Neuroscience. She is the Executive Marketing Director of the GWU GSSA chapter and one of the original members. Her favorite part of GSSA is the ability to participate in health on a global scale and expand her current knowledge about global health crises, inequitable health care, and much more. 

Chichi Amanze is a junior undergraduate student at the University of Michigan currently majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in music. This year, she is the National Liaison for U of M's GSSA chapter where she collaborates with other undergraduate chapters in the country to plan events. Her favorite part of GSSA is connecting with other passionate students to learn about the ways to make an impact related to global health.

Kriti Shirodkar is a freshman undergraduate at Michigan State University, completing an honors dual degree program in Neuroscience and French. Her interests lie in neurolinguistics, and in pursuing interdisciplinary research to diminish language discrimination along with the social dichotomy between STEM and the arts in populations of color. She participates in Pre-SOMA, the Osteopathic Medical Scholars Program, and GSSA. 

Brody Mayoras is a junior at the University of Michigan studying Public Health with a minor in Public Policy. Brody is the Vice President of the U of M GSSA chapter, where he coordinates internal club activities, works closely with the national team, runs the chapter’s research project, and organizes logistics for the 2023 GSSA Surgical Innovation Conference. He loves how heavily GSSA emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of medicine. 

Zahra Vafaei Naeini is a senior student at Louisiana State University and majors in Biological Sciences. Zahra is the President of GSSA at LSU chapter. She just started this chapter this past semester, Fall 2022. She loves to engage undergraduate student in GSSA events and she enjoys things that she learns about global surgery through GSSA. 

Sara Arastu is a junior at Rutgers University New Brunswick (School of Arts and Sciences) majoring in genetics and minoring in psychology. She is currently the co-president of the GSSA chapter at Rutgers University New Brunswick. Her favorite aspect of GSSA is working with other students and health care professionals to create ways in which to educate others on topics related to global surgery and health. 

Selin Yalcinoglu is a senior at Wayne State University majoring in Neuroscience honors and minoring in Spanish on the pre-med track. She is  president of the GSSA chapter at Wayne State. She would like to utilize her spanish minor and future medical degree to travel and advocate for accessible health care initiatives in under resourced countries . She enjoys being a part of GSSA because of all the tools and networking it provides her with for her to achieve her goals.