Olivia Bednarski

Olivia is a fifth-year MD/PhD student in the third year of her PhD at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the connection between the gut microbiome and severe malaria infections in Ugandan children. Her upcoming trip, as part of the Ben Kean, will be developing a point-of-care myoglobin testing protocol as children are enrolled in a clinical observational study focused on uncovering the cause of kidney injury in children with severe malaria. She hopes to one day work in tropical medicine and be involved in global health in some way. Her current plan is to complete a residency in internal medicine followed by a fellowship (she’s not sure which one, yet). Olivia hopes to be a physician-scientist who continues to uncover the pathogenesis of infectious diseases that continue to afflict the world. 

What does the Kean Fellowship mean to you?
The Kean Fellowship means opportunity. It means that I have a chance to explore, learn and experience something that not many other people get. It means I will learn lessons and meet people I would never have had the chance to interact with if I stayed in my bubble. It means pushing myself to be more independent and learn to live in a new place. It also means that I have great support at my university that is willing to guide me and let me have this experience. An opportunity like this can change the trajectory of my future. I anticipate learning an immense amount of information.

What do you anticipate learning?
I anticipate learning the beginnings of how to be a field researcher, but also what it is like to be a clinician in a rural African setting. I plan to learn about the country of Uganda and its history, and the cultures and customs celebrated today. I hope to learn how our medical systems differ, and the challenges faced in clinical care and research in a country outside of the US. I also know I will learn plenty that I can’t anticipate for now, and that is very exciting.

What interests you about tropical medicine and what problems are you interested in solving?
Tropical medicine is intriguing to me because, in some ways, it is the oldest form of medicine and yet, there is still so much to learn. We still don’t understand how different bugs can make humans so sick or understand the best ways to get rid of them or prevent the damage caused by the host's response. Beyond that, I am interested in ways that we can prevent or change patterns to limit the effects of infection before it happens. Finally, tropical medicine is much more than just finding solutions. It is linked with humanity and the care of others, which is very important to me.