Research Assistant Spotlight: Vijwala Yakkanti

For Vijwala Yakkanti, participating in the FaniLab has allowed her to develop her research skills and pursue her passion for social justice.

Yakkanti was drawn to the FaniLab because of its particular focus on inclusivity. “The populations we work with tend to be overlooked in research,” says Yakkanti. “I thought it was really important to see that they were being given voices and being heard.” For her thesis, Yakkanti chose to investigate the relationship between emotion regulation and autonomic nervous system regulation in trauma-exposed Black women.

Even her extracurricular involvements reflect her passion for social justice: She’s involved in Global Brigades, an organization that provides a healthcare clinic to international rural communities.

In her tenure as a research assistant, Yakkanti has learned the value of a strong support system. “The people in the FaniLab are extremely passionate about their work and sensitive to the subject of research that we do,” says Yakkanti. She’s inspired by the study’s participants, too: “The participants in the study have allowed me to witness the depth of resilience and inspire me to try to make meaningful impact with the work that I do.”

Yakkanti is a leader both in and out of the lab. She’s pictured here performing with her Raas/Garba dance team, which is nationally competitive.

Yakkanti will graduate this spring from Emory University with a double major in Anthropology and Chemistry. She hopes to become a physician and address inequity in healthcare access. Additionally, she is interested in researching the socioeconomic impacts of disease and discrimination.