With Fulbright, Naidu To Study Communications With Stroke Patients

06/20/2017

Yamini Naidu in the Biomedical Engineering department has received a Fulbright scholarship to continue her work in improving communication between patients and physicians.

As a Fulbright Scholar, she will be expanding on her senior thesis in India, working with terminally ill and stroke patients in the local hospitals. Naidu, who is in the lab of Douglas Rothman, professor of biomedical engineering and director of Yale's Magnetic Resonance Research Center (MRRC), plans to develop a consolidated question prompt list (QPL) so that patients have a framework for questions to ask doctors. She will also establish workshops to train doctors to communicate effectively with patients and conduct an exploratory study to determine patient willingness to use a digital QPL. 

Dr. Alyssa Siefert, Naidu’s instructor in Biomedical Engineering Lab I (BENG 355L), said she was immediately impressed by Naidu’s intelligence, work ethic, and passion. 

“Yamini went above and beyond that semester, earning the top grade in the course,” she said. "Yamini's commitment to applying engineering principles to help people is evidenced by her numerous projects that contribute to global good. I'm thrilled that she received the Fulbright, and I'm confident that her work will benefit countless people."

Participants in the Fulbright program are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential. There have been more than 360,000 Fulbright scholars since the program began in 1946. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the United States Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.