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Kairaluchi Oraedu CC’24

Kairaluchi Oraedu CC’24

Award Recognition

Edward S. Brainard Memorial Prize
Kairaluchi “Kaira” Oraedu is studying biology and public health. At Columbia, she has prioritized health equity, community, and service. As co-editor-in-chief of The Columbia University Journal of Global Health, Kaira manages an accessible multi-media platform uplifting diverse perspectives on global health inequities. Since her freshman year, she has fostered a close-knit community for African students through her involvement in the African Students Association executive board and Afropolitan committee. Kaira has conducted research in the Shirasu-Hiza lab, co-authoring a paper demonstrating neuronal knockdown of Cullin3 in fruit flies as a model of autism spectrum disorder. She enjoys supporting undergraduates as a Biochemistry teaching assistant and volunteering at Mount Sinai Morningside hospital. Her internship at the Lakeshore Cancer Center in Nigeria and her current volunteer work with The Birthing Place (a Bronx-based initiative striving to revolutionize maternity care for marginalized communities) have inspired her to seek an intersection between community health and healthcare institutions.
I would like to thank everyone who nominated and voted for me. Thank you to my mentors for their invaluable words of advice. I am also grateful to my wonderful friends for being my home away from home. Most importantly, I am incredibly thankful to my family for their never-ending love and support, which has been the driving force behind my accomplishments. Thank you all for being an integral part of my Columbia journey.