Arnel Polo
Arnel Polo is a fourth-year Applied Physiology and Kinesiology student at the University of Florida. After obtaining his BA, he plans to matriculate into medical school with a focus on Sports Medicine. He is also passionate about health equity, reducing health disparities, and advocating for the well-being of underrepresented populations. Arnel cultivates this passion through various roles, including serving as an ambassador for Students Taking Action Against Racism and volunteering with FIT for All, a community service organization that helps individuals with special needs engage in physical activities.
During his SUMR tenure, Polo worked in Dr. Heather Nuske’s lab, where he assisted with the collection and coding of qualitative data from users of the KeepCalm App, a digital mental health tool designed to support emotion regulation in preschool and elementary students on the autism spectrum. In this role, he gained hands-on experience in qualitative research methods and digital health innovation, contributing valuable insights into app development. Polo also worked with Dr. Clark-Cutaia on a project that aimed o determine the impact of a sodium (Na) restricted tailored meal provision program on outcomes of minority individuals with end-stage kidney disease. He also contributed to participant recruitment, data collection, and analysis.