Neveya Flakes

Evolutionary Anthropology & Biology 

I am Neveya, and my interest in medicine began with a personal battle. At four years old, I experienced my first overnight hospital stay due to severe asthma. The uncertainty surrounding my condition was daunting, but I found comfort in understanding it. My mother would read hospital pamphlets during my stays, simplifying complex concepts to explain my “puffy” airways and heavy chest. That early experience with the inner workings of the human body piqued my interest in how we function, adapt, and heal, as humans.
   
As I pursued my passion for human biology as a freshman, my curiosity grew to include evolutionary anthropology and its many connections to medicine. I am particularly interested in how evolutionary history shapes human health, influencing the origins of disease, the development of adaptations, and patterns of overall well-being. I believe that understanding these links offers a useful perspective on medical science that can inform prevention, treatment, and patient care.
   
My interests led me to Duke’s competitive Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), where I explored the potential energetic impacts of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy on the mother in the Pontzer Lab of Energetics and Ecology. This year, I will continue to work in the Pontzer Lab, studying how human evolution impacts energy expenditure and long-term health. Ultimately, I aim to apply these evolutionary perspectives to medical research in ways that advance scientific understanding and improve patient outcomes as a future physician.
   
My experiences with medicine inform my fascination with evolutionary anthropology, which began during a biology course where I learned about early humans and their unique structures. Furthermore, I desire to explore the field's medical implications to strengthen my understanding of how evolutionary processes have shaped human biology and health. Studying anthropology through this lens, I hope to gain insight into the origins of human diseases, adaptations, and overall health, enhancing my ability to contribute to medical research and patient care.