Lauren Davidson

Hailing from Atlanta, Lauren Davidson is a current MSNPL/MPH dual degree student at Penn’s School of Social Policy and Practice and Perelman School of Medicine, respectively. A proud Penn alum, Lauren graduated in 2023 with a degree in biochemistry and minors in neuroscience as well as cinema and media studies. During her time as an undergraduate, she had the privilege and honor to be recognized as an Annenberg School of Communication CAMRA Mellon Fellow, Collegium Institute Medical Humanities Fellow, as well as Perelman School of Medicine Johnson Scholar and SUPERS Fellow. Each of these experiences cultivated and impassioned a desire to work at the intersection of media, medicine, and community for Lauren. Informed by her experiences working and researching in the fields of healthcare, education, and community engagement, she is excited to make use of the unique opportunity her combined degrees of study offer her to further develop her interests.

Her more recent work as a nutrition educator at the Netter Center — and personal health journey battling chronic illnesses — has made her increasingly interested in the use of medical nutrition therapies for chronic disease as well as culturally-responsive nutrition interventions for traditionally marginalized populations. Through her graduate studies, Lauren looks forward to delving deeper into the relationship between diet and chronic disease in socially-minded and community-based contexts. Outside of her studies, one is likely to find Lauren drinking boba or dancing, as she is an avid social dancer and choreographer in a variety of Latin styles. [Some of her favorite choreographed styles include salsa romántica, lyrical bachata, Afro-Cuban funk/soul, and contemporary rumba.]