Melanie Perez-Romero

Neuroscience, Chemistry, & Latin American Studies

Hey! My name is Melanie Perez-Romero and I am a first-generation Chicana student here at Duke! I was born and raised here in Duke University's home - "The City of Medicine" aka Durham, North Carolina. I love reading, listening to music, making crafts, baking, spending time with loved ones, and traveling. My biggest motivation to seek a healthcare career has been the countless barriers my family has faced as undocumented immigrants and their experiences with healthcare. In addition, my family faced difficulties accessing resources for my eldest brother who has severe autism. Beyond the reward of being able to care for patients, healthcare has been my passion as a Latina who aims to advocate for her community.
   
I have seen and experienced the lack of inclusion and care within the Latin American community of Durham with healthcare. I have been a part of the Duke Summer Training in Academic Research internship program and was a coauthor in a published article with the Journal of Perinatology and was able to network with Duke medical professionals as well as other interns. This opportunity allowed me to not only understand the epidemiology of Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation within premature infants but also was able to gain networking skills. I have also been with the Building Overtunes and Opportunities in Science and Technology program (better known as BOOST at Duke) since 2016 where I began as a scholar of the program and have been promoted to a Coach position in which I will now mentor underrepresented Durham Public School middle school students towards careers in STEM. In addition, I look forward to immersing myself in Latinx organizations around the Duke campus such as Mi Gente and GANO.
   
As I begin my education here at Duke with a focus on Neurosciences, I want to express my value in returning to my community to make a change in how Latinos are treated in healthcare. From the estranged help for language barriers to the fears of stepping foot into a clinic due to immigration status, I am set to advocate and educate my community on autism and its inclusion within our population. I look forward to increasing my knowledge and experience in aiding other Latinx mothers and children who face the difficulties my family once faced in not only accepting autism as a neurodivergence but also as a condition we must embrace.