Aiyana Williams
Aiyana Williams is a recent graduate of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NCAT), originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned her BS in Biology in May 2025 as a premedical student. Williams is passionate about addressing health disparities and systemic barriers that impact underserved communities. She plans to attend medical school and continue conducting research in health policy, public health, and health equity, with a particular interest in population health.
During the SUMR program, Williams worked on two research projects. Under the mentorship of Dr. Elinore Kaufman, she contributed to a mixed-methods study examining the role of housing in violent injury. Her second project, mentored by Dr. Cedric Bien-Gund, focused on advancing HIV prevention strategies by evaluating innovative approaches to expand access to services among populations disproportionately affected by HIV.
At NCAT, Williams conducted undergraduate research through the NIH-funded GRADS-4C program, investigating the differential expression of human cytomegalovirus microRNAs in triple-negative breast cancer cases across individuals of European and African ancestry. She is also an active member of the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS), demonstrating her dedication to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the medical field. Additionally, she completed a clinical research internship at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), gaining valuable hands-on clinical and research experience. In her free time, Williams enjoys exploring new places, trying different foods, and pursuing photography and videography.