Neelesh Mupparapu is studying for an MPH at University College Cork. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, where he studied Biomedical Engineering. Neel was a Banneker/Key Scholarship recipient interested in pursuing medicine with an emphasis on equity and social advocacy. Through Gemstone, Neel and his team conducted a research thesis on utilizing deep learning and artificial intelligence to improve clinician diagnosis of mental disorders, and bioethics research to discern racial inequities, for which they won the outstanding thesis award. He also pursued a post-baccalaureate program at NIH/NIA to extend his Bioengineering undergraduate honors thesis focused on investigating the phenotypes and molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular aging in HGPS patients. This research, along with his personal experiences, fueled his interest in studying neglected, rare disorders as well as cardiovascular disease. Neel won multiple awards for his work developing low-cost medical devices, including a neonatal glucose fiber-optic biosensor, which he presented at the Intel-Regeneron International Fair. He volunteered at the Esperanza Clinical Center, which provides free healthcare to Hispanic and underserved communities in Baltimore, and the Johns Hopkins Senior Citizen Department. As VP of Professional Affairs in the Biomedical Engineering Society, he coordinated departmental social networking, professional development, and service events. Neel is also a co-founder of the Brain Exercise initiative chapter at UMD and organized a volunteer program with Maryland Senior Citizen Homes. He is an Eagle Scout, and on weekends served as an automotive mechanic at his local repair shop.

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