Scholar

Pravalika was born into a lineage of farmers in rural India, where education was a luxury and college degrees were seen as distant dreams. However, her parents, pioneers, traded the fields for metropolitan opportunities, instilling in Pravalika the belief that education is a gateway to independence and passion. Pravalika's passion for genetics was sparked at a young age, inspired by the captivating world of science fiction, and nurtured through academic pursuits. Limited undergraduate opportunities in India for genetics motivated her to come to the US to pursue a dual degree in Cell and Molecular Biology and Psychology at the University of South Florida (USF). 

Transitioning from the majority in India to a minority in the United States, Pravalika's perspective on the world underwent a profound transformation. Her experiences in the U.S. underscored the importance of education and representation, igniting a desire to advocate for equitable access to healthcare resources. 

At USF, Pravalika co-founded and served as Vice-President of the Pre-Genetic Counseling Club, educating and advocating for the genetic counseling field within the USF community and local high schools. She volunteered as a comfort companion at Moffitt Cancer Center, supporting terminal cancer patients and their families. She conducted undergraduate wet-lab and bioinformatics research on bacteriophages, contributing to the national bacteriophage database to combat super-bacterial infections, and co-authored a publication on the genome sequence of CaiB, a DR Cluster Actinobacteriophage. Pravalika also worked as a part-time chemistry tutor at USF’s Academic Success Center where she discovered her passion for teaching. She did an independent project with her peers on international genetic counseling, interviewing genetic counselors from twelve countries to understand global accessibility and challenges in the field. This project inspired her to envision expanding genetic counseling globally through collaboration with genetic counselors and other professionals.