Rebeka (Beka) Bamgboye is a junior majoring in Allied Health Sciences. Beka’s research interests include organic chemistry, public health, and social determinants of health. On campus, Beka serves as a peer mentor in the African American Cultural Center, where she supports first-year and transfer students as they navigate their transition to UConn. Beka has also been an active member of In the Vein Campus Ministries, where she now serves as the Finance and Resource Coordinator. In her free time, Beka enjoys knitting, going on runs, and reading.

Beka began her research experience during her sophomore year at UConn’s Center for mHealth and Social Media under Dr. Sherry Pagoto. There, she investigated the efficacy of asynchronous approaches to telehealth by supporting the administration of behavioral weight loss programs and recording results in datasets. In the spring of her sophomore year, Beka joined the Kienzler Lab under Dr. Michael Kienzler, where she undertook the synthesis of photoswitchable ligands for the modulation of potassium channels. The following summer, Beka was selected as a CAPS Research Scholar, allowing her to further advance her project in the Kienzler Lab.

Following her graduation, Beka hopes to enter medical school and continue her research, with a particular interest in investigating social determinants of maternal health.