Kshirin is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Rochester, where she is double majoring in microbiology and epidemiology, and minoring in music. She is passionate about reimagining how heart disease is understood, studied, and treated in women, and hopes
to contribute to a future where sex-specific care is the standard.
Her passion for women’s heart health stems from her clinical role in the hospital and cardiology clinic. She is currently involved in epidemiological research at the University of
Ottawa Heart Institute, where she is working on a systematic and narrative review investigating cardiovascular risk in menopausal women with type 2 diabetes under Dr. Jodi
Edwards. She is also a researcher at her university’s Cardiovascular Research Institute, investigating the mechanisms of NETosis and pursuing a project on DNase and macrophage activity in cardiac fibrosis.
In addition to research, she is deeply interested in science communication and writing. She has started a women’s heart health article series aimed at engaging young audiences and
raising awareness about overlooked aspects of cardiovascular care. She also writes about medical research for her university newspaper, bridging the gap between complex scientific
findings and accessible public understanding.
Long-term, she hopes to pursue an interdisciplinary career in medicine and research that bridges clinical care, women-centred research, and public education. Through the CWHHA,
she hopes to contribute to a growing national effort to improve outcomes and equity for all women.
