Hannah Adams

UConn School of Medicine

I was born in St. Louis, MO and raised in Plainfield, IL. I graduated from Fordham University with a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry in 2021. In 2023, I earned my Masters of Public Health at Dartmouth.

In college I volunteered with Peer Health Exchange to lead a health class for students in the Bronx. I recognized that many students in under-resourced schools don’t have access to a formal health education which fostered my interest in studying health equity. I also volunteered on pediatric cardiac surgical mission trips where I learned about the geographic, financial, and political barriers to accessing care in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. After graduating college, my interest in health disparities grew. While working in clinical research, I learned about the challenges in advancing health equity in NYC. Hearing similar sentiments from physicians fueled my commitment to partaking in health equity work throughout my career. I also realize that systemic barriers pose a challenge to ameliorating health inequities. I completed an MPH to learn how physicians can partner with public health institutions to advance health equity on a local and global scale.

The UST/AHEC program provides an opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills required to work effectively on a clinical team in underserved areas. I am eager to better understand the barriers to receiving healthcare in urban environments and aim to collaborate with community members to develop culturally aware, innovative, and sustainable solutions to these barriers.