Center for Global Health Equity

Dr. Charles’ interest in global health has been shaped by a longstanding personal connection to South India and experiences working with underserved communities in the United States. Her undergraduate studies in medical anthropology first sparked her interest in the social and cultural factors that influence health and led her to pursue an MPH, which provided a framework for understanding the structural and systemic barriers that shape healthcare experiences. During medical school, Dr. Charles built on this foundation through research at the Swetland Center for Environmental Health and the University Hospitals Rainbow Center for Child Health & Policy, gaining experience in qualitative research, understanding community perspectives, and translating patient experiences into meaningful interventions. These medical school experiences further strengthened her interest in global health equity, particularly the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Charles is a native speaker of Malayalam and Tamil and has a minor in Spanish, which further helped her develop an appreciation for how language shapes healthcare experiences.