W&L’s Kristina Ayers Earns Fulbright to Netherlands Ayers was selected for the inaugural Fulbright/Netherlands-America Foundation Heersink Family Foundation Award to conduct public health research.
Washington and Lee University senior Kristina Ayers ’25 has received the Fulbright/Netherlands-America Foundation (NAF) Heersink Family Foundation Award to conduct public health research at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. At W&L, Ayers is a biology major on the pre-medical track, with minors in music and poverty and human capability studies. Ayers is a native of Waterford, Virginia, and graduated from Woodgrove High School.
This is the first year of the NAF Heersink Family Foundation Award, which gives one student the opportunity to conduct research related to global health and foodborne illness. Ayers’s research is situated at the intersection of nutrition, cancer and health ethics, and her project is titled “Economic Barriers to Optimal Diets and Pancreatic Cancer Pre-Surgery Participation.”
Ayers will partner with a research group at Maastricht University to study trends in clinical participation rates among different socioeconomic groups. The research group is currently conducting a national study across all hospitals in the Netherlands to study how optimizing various social determinants of health can positively influence pancreatic cancer outcomes and Ayers’s project will complement this study by providing crucial insight into why populations that are the most vulnerable to poorer social determinants of health are underrepresented in clinical trials of this nature.
“This opportunity is an absolute dream come true,” said Ayers. “I am ecstatic to have the chance to do what I love most in a new environment that will challenge me to grow as a scientist. I am so honored to be the inaugural recipient of this award and to not only represent W&L on a global research stage, but to trailblaze this relationship between the U.S. and the Netherlands.”
An aspiring physician-researcher, Ayers is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with scientists and gain first-hand experience with healthcare systems abroad. She views the research award as an important step toward better understanding global health challenges and research practices, and gaining insights that will directly inform and enrich her approach to patient care.
Ayers is looking forward to building upon the research experience she has gained as a W&L student, including working with Sarah Kim, assistant professor of chemistry, during the academic year since the fall of 2023 and as a Summer Research Scholar, developing safer chemotherapeutics intended to treat children with brain tumors. Ayers credits Kim for inspiring her passion for research and her interest in pursuing research opportunities before attending medical school. Ayers also completed a clinical research internship at the Mayo Clinic the summer after her sophomore year. Under the guidance of Dr. Pooja Advani and Dr. Dawn Mussallem, she developed a breast cancer patient study that investigated social determinants of health and cancer prognosis, which ultimately paved the way for her Fulbright research project.
“Kristina is highly curious, resourceful, organized and persistent, which is essential for driving progress on a research project,” said Kim. “She quickly became a valuable member of my lab. I know she will bring the same level of energy, curiosity and commitment to completing her research project in the Netherlands.”
At W&L, Ayers is a Bonner Scholar and works with several community-focused organizations, including the Street Medicine Institute, Rockbridge Prevention Coalition, ConnectionsPlus Hospice and free clinics. She hopes to continue her service work by volunteering for the Ronald McDonald House chapter in Maastricht and engaging with the Maastricht University Hospital’s cancer outreach volunteer programs to support the community this project serves. Ayers has also held leadership positions in University Singers, the Outing Club, Chi Omega sorority and the Johnson Mentorship Program. She was inducted into the Alpha Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa in her junior year and the Tri-Beta biology national honor society as a sophomore.
Ayers appreciates the support she has found at W&L, particularly in the ways her faculty mentors have shown her how to pursue excellence with integrity. In addition to Kim’s mentorship, Ayers is grateful to Erich Uffelman, Bentley Professor of Chemistry, who she says has been “a constant source of inspiration, pushing me to approach every challenge with curiosity and passion;” and Shane Lynch, associate professor of music and director of choral activities, whose leadership has helped Ayers develop confidence and purpose in all she does.
With the Fulbright award, Ayers will depart in September for her nine-month program. Upon completion of the program, she plans to attend medical school, continuing her interest in oncology and exploring other specialty interests.
~~~
Washington and Lee University is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2024-2025 Fulbright U.S. Students for the seventh consecutive year.
The Fulbright Program was established more than 75 years ago to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Fulbright is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
If you know a W&L student who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.
You must be logged in to post a comment.