Randa Abu Youssef

Randa was born in the U.S., and grew up there and in Canada. The first time she visited her family’s homeland of Egypt was when she abruptly moved there when she was 16 years old, after a family health crisis. Being confronted with that new found reality of imperatively living in a vastly foreign culture, with its own set of norms, values, and taboos steeped in tradition and Middle Eastern identity, certainly shaped how she developed as a young adult.

As she progressed through academics, which took her from medical school in Egypt, to Master’s study in Sweden, and to her current PhD study in England, her split background gave Randa an appreciation of global citizenry. She came to appreciate the notion that our definition of ‘normal’, ‘standard’, or ‘accepted’, can be greatly shaped by relative perception, bound to evolve by our environment and life circumstances. She has thus developed interests in global affairs, social justice, and public health, and she aspires to become a community leader in these issues, alongside her work as a physician-scientist. In particular, after finishing her PhD in neuroscience, she plans on specializing in pediatrics, to care for children and help discover cures for neurological disorders. Outside of the lab and hospital, she aims to push for societal change via community action in international affairs and public health.