Hi! My name Vega and I just completed my first year at the University of Pittsburgh in the Frederick Honors College. I am studying Neuroscience and planning to minor in Public Policy.

This summer, I’m participating in the FHC Frederick Firsts’ Social Roots of Medical Innovation program. This is a two-week program split between Pittsburgh and Belfast, Northern Ireland. The program examines the social, political, emotional, and technological forces that shape health and human care, and challenges us to compare the histories and healthcare systems of two very different cities.

I was drawn to this program because of its interdisciplinary lens. My interests sit at the intersection of medicine, research, and healthcare policy, and this program brings all three together in a very unique way. Getting to explore these questions outside of the classroom, within real communities, hearing personal narratives and learning the history of these communities, is something I am really excited about.

As someone who has always loved travel, I’m excited to experience my first study abroad program early in my college career. I’m particularly passionate about health disparities and access to care, especially within the field of neuroscience, and I’m hoping this experience in Pittsburgh and Belfast will deepen my understanding of how history, politics, and society shapes who gets care and how. I can’t wait to see what these next few weeks have to teach me!