Maryyam Durrani

Maryyam Durrani is a master’s student in the Health Infrastructures and Learning Systems Program. She received a BA in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, with a focus on women’s health, from Cornell University. While pursuing her studies, Maryyam joined Dr. Marla Lujan’s lab in the Cornell nutrition department to investigate polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). She used Sante Dicom software to analyze ultrasounds and determine follicular count, follicular size and ovary size in women of reproductive age. This analysis was critical in many of the lab’s ongoing studies that used ovarian morphology, in addition to insulin, glucose, androgen, and fat-derived hormone levels to assess PCOS management in women with varying ages, weights, and lifestyle habits. Alongside an interdisciplinary team, Maryyam also studied the correlation between bone density and PCOS.

After graduating from Cornell, Maryyam worked as a research assistant in the Risk Communication Lab under Dr. Sarah Bass. She conducted qualitative coding for a study assessing socioeconomically challenged patients’ ability to manage diabetes. She also worked on a manuscript that explored PrEP use among transgender individuals who inject drugs.

Maryyam joined the HILS program to build on her existing knowledge, and gain new insights in informatics, data analysis and sociocultural influences on health, to improve health outcomes for minority women and trans individuals; two groups that are routinely forgotten or mistreated in healthcare.