Nitya Balusu
Nitya Balusu is a first-year dental student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Before dental school, she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Nitya is passionate about the intersection of healthcare and business, particularly improving accessibility and sustainability within the field, and pursued nonprofit work related to these issues throughout her undergraduate years.
During the LDI program, Nitya worked with Dr. Kari Hexem on the COMPLeTE Study, a mixed-methods pilot investigating the clinical profiles, psychosocial experiences, and treatment preferences of individuals who lost all of their teeth before age 40, a population that faces unique burdens yet remains largely absent from evidence-based care guidelines.
In her free time, Nitya enjoys playing soccer, café hopping with friends, and traveling.