Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki Memorial Scholarship Recipient: Aditya Gupta
Scholarship Recipient: Aditya Gupta
Scholarship Year: Fall 2024-Spring 2025
Scholarship Type: High school student entering a university
University Name: Tufts University
Scholarship Amount: $5,000
Aditya Gupta’s journey into the medical field was not just a career choice, but a testament to his resilience and determination. Diagnosed with Kawasaki disease (KD) at the tender age of five, he vividly remembers the worry in his parents’ eyes as nurses and doctors tirelessly worked to diagnose his condition. This challenging experience, instead of deterring him, fueled his passion to make a difference in the medical field. As a graduating high school student, he is preparing to embark on his studies at Tufts University, where he will pursue a double major in biomedical and computer science. His ultimate goal is to become a Doctorate of Medicine and of Philosophy (MD-PhD) and utilize computational medicine to study the causes and mechanisms of KD, a disease that once affected him personally.
Aditya’s interest in biomedical sciences is not just a personal pursuit, but a dedication to making a positive impact in his community. In middle school, he participated in the Science Olympiad, focusing on subjects such as Anatomy and Physiology, Microbe Mission, and Disease Detectives, earning numerous state-level recognitions. In high school, he took on leadership roles, serving as the head captain of his town’s Science Olympiad chapter, and the Co-President of the HOSA (medical club) chapter. In these roles, he organized STEM-related activities for students with limited opportunities, and community service projects related to health professions, showcasing his dedication to community service and his passion for the medical field.
To pursue his interest in computer science, Aditya learned coding languages such as R and Python and currently serves as the Co-President of his Coding Club. In 2023, he completed an internship at the UC Santa Cruz Science Internship Program, where he developed a machine learning model capable of identifying up to ten dermatological diseases in a Citizen Science App with up to 70% accuracy. Presently, he is pursuing an internship at the Boston University Medical School’s Computational Biomedicine Department, working on conducting a bioinformatics analysis on gene expression in lung tumor cells using bioinformatics languages such as R and Python, along with literature reviews and self-learning in immunology and oncology.
Aditya also serves as Vice Chair of the Massachusetts State Student Advisory Council, where he conducted a post-pandemic mental health data analysis of high schoolers across the state. His findings were shared with the MA Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, influencing future educational policy for public schools across the state. His current work with the council includes efforts to make CPR and First Aid training and resources mandatory in MA schools.
Aditya aspires to contribute to therapies and prevention of KD through his educational pursuits and to the overall improvement of medical systems. He is grateful for receiving a scholarship and remains committed to working towards joining the medical field and potentially contributing to KD research in the future.