Field Work in Ladakh, India

This past summer, I traveled to Ladakh, India, to conduct undergraduate research on tobacco control initiatives taking place there. It was a great opportunity to take what I'd learned in the classroom and apply it to an actual community. We are also hoping to present our findings this February at a conference in Pittsburgh, an especially unique experience for me! I worked with one of my professors from a class I took freshman year, something I don't think would be possible without my school's amazing student-to-faculty ratio and the open curriculum.

We started the trip with a few days in New Delhi, and then we, a group of eight students with our mentor, Dr. Nancy Chin, climbed up to 11,000 feet for three-and-a-half weeks in Leh, Ladakh, a region of the Himalayan Mountains. We conducted research on the efficacy of smoking cessation practices by working with various community partners, including the government, hospitals, colleges, and religious organizations. It was a very thorough look at tobacco control as we did a survey and conducted numerous interviews with local and official individuals.

While there, I had the privilege of managing the research team, running weekly team ​meetings, and organizing weekly PowerPoint presentations, putting skills into action that I've gained while participating in various activities at Rochester.

I would love to share more about this project with you, so please do not hesitate to email me at apatel28@u.rochester.edu! Below you will find my favorite photos from my trip!