Student Spotlight: Nehal Rowhani

Watch Nehal’s introduction or read the trasncript below! 

Hi everyone, I’m Nehal! I am in my final year of the MPH program and my concentration is in global health. I moved to Redwood City, California, which is part of the Bay Area, just 40 minutes south of San Francisco, and have been living here since 2021 with my husband and my three-year-old son.

I have a background in clinical medicine. I completed medical school in South Africa in 2013, after which I continued working as a clinician in various government and private settings. My experience in the healthcare industry really fueled my passion and drive to seek a career in public health. I have become very frustrated and disheartened with the way that our health systems are failing vulnerable populations. My interests lie in primary healthcare strengthening, specifically within Africa.

I do believe that disaster management and response is a foundational component of a strong primary health care infrastructure. I’m really excited to take this class and to learn alongside all of you.

Aside from that, I am a full-time mom to a very busy three-year-old as I mentioned, I also sing and play the guitar. I love reading, in particular, I love thrillers or sci-fi novels. I also love being outside and luckily the California weather allows for that and there are a lot of beautiful hiking trails in the Bay Area. My favorite thing, or favorite part of my day, is when I can finally sit down and have my cup of coffee.

I’m so happy to meet you all virtually and looking forward to a great semester. Thank you!