Spotlight on Amada Garcia

Amada Garcia
Intern

How did you first hear about the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and COMPASS?
I first heard about I.AIM and COMPASS from my good friend and mentor, Jordan Henry (former COMPASS intern)! She graduated a year before me and connected me with Dr. Birkett after finishing her research on Modeling Drivers of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in HIV Transmission in Marginalized Communities in Chicago. From there, I was able to narrow down my research options, and I had the chance to work on something that's always interested me: health disparities in relation to racial composition. With the help of Dr. Birkett and the resources they provided me at CONNECT, I was able to comprehensively evaluate how race intersects with factors such as spatial accessibility and population density to clarify the issues these communities face as a result of insufficient government funding and historical redlining. 

How has your experience with COMPASS changed you?
I have been extremely lucky and grateful to work with the individuals at COMPASS, especially because I got to conduct research beyond my previous experience in a microbiology lab. I believe that being able to present my research through IMSA's (Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy's) Student Inquiry Research Office has permitted me to grow and reflect more on my time working with public data sets and explaining the composition of statistics that anyone could access, yet are not discussed enough. 

What are your plans for the future?
I am starting college in the fall at San Diego State University, studying Environmental Engineering! While I'm originally from Illinois, I grew up in California around endless sustainability movements and was raised by parents who composted, raised chickens and took their kids to farmers' markets and hiking on weekends. I've always been exposed to living sustainably, so I'm excited to turn it into an application of STEM.

Who inspires you?
My family inspires me in every aspect of life, as I am constantly reminded of their love and support. For this specific project, many of my relatives who work in medicine have countless stories to tell about working at understaffed hospitals or hospitals with too few beds, as well as being overworked daily. With my work, I hope to acknowledge both the communities that need support and the individuals who support them on a patient-by-patient basis.