Abena Ansah-Yeboah

Abena Ansah-Yeboah is currently a senior at Duke University, hailing from the city of Dumfries in Northern Virginia. Her interests lay in the arts and sciences, and she is currently studying Evolutionary Anthropology (Pre-Med track) with minors in Chemistry and Visual Media Studies. As she plans to pursue medicine, her goal of combining the subjects of historical and technologically-mediated art in conjunction with Evolutionary Anthropology and Chemistry is to gain an informed and well-rounded understanding of what motivates individuals biologically, socially, and culturally in their pursuits. Her diverse experiences in laboratories involving malaria (NMRC), neurobiology (Dr. Chay Kuo), and, currently, disease ecology/parasitology (Dr. Charles Nunn) have solidified her interest in research, which she hopes to incorporate as an integral part of her professional work in medicine order to encourage collaboration between scientists and physicians to address medical issues and promote better health. In terms of extracurricular activities, Abena serves on the executive board of Duke’s American Society of Microbiology (ASM), DukeAFRICA, and is a long-standing member of the Adopt-a-Grandparent organization fostering valuable, interpersonal connections between Duke students and local, elderly residents of Durham. Most recently, as a University Scholar, Abena and her fellow scholars have spearheaded an initiative to develop a middle school outreach program in partnership with the Durham Public School system, in order to provide underserved populations with college access through mentorship and resources. Outside of academics, Abena’s personal hobbies surround journalism, photography/videography, meditation, and nutrition. Her undergraduate years have been a time of pushing personal boundaries to challenge herself academically and socially, in order to explore her strengths and weaknesses and piece together her interests to become a multifaceted individual in her field of work. The Cardea Program has been an instrumental part of facilitating this growth. Three words Abena would use to describe the Cardea Program are “a platform, a resource, and a family.” She plans to take a gap year conducting clinical research or working in a hospital setting, before attending medical school in the fall of 2019.