Laila Gad is a senior at Hunter College, majoring in journalism with a minor in environmental science and biology. Interested in the intersections between climate change and health, Laila hopes to become a geriatrician focused on spreading climate literacy and reversing stereotypes experienced by older adults. Laila is dedicated to raising awareness about the morbid impacts that rising temperatures have on vulnerable populations in NYC, specifically the aging. Currently, she is a Mellon Public Humanities and Social Justice Scholar, working on her capstone research project aimed at analyzing how older adults living in the South Bronx are socially and medically impacted by heat. She is a research trainee in Dr. Zota’s Lab at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, conducting and writing a literature review on beauty justice in minority communities and original data analysis on chemical hair straighteners and gestational age.
In her free time, Laila is an avid reader; she loves all things classics. Her favorite authors include Stendhal, Bram Stoker, and Gustave Flaubert. When she’s not reading, Laila enjoys spending time with her friends, cat, and family.
