STREET MEDICINE INSTITUTE STUDENT COALITION

The Street Medicine Institute Student Coalition focuses on bringing together street medicine programs run by students worldwide. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

Meet the 2026 SMISC Leadership Board

Name: Ramya Chigurupati
Position: Chief

Bio: Hi! I'm Ramya, a current M4 at MSUCOM in Michigan. I've spent the last few years in Detroit, and have been fortunate to be involved with Detroit Street Care while I've been in medical school. I've also helped create the Street Medicine of Michigan Symposium, which helps the various street medicine teams in Michigan communicate with and learn from each other. I'm incredibly passionate about harm reduction, continuity of care, and ensuring dignity and humanity across all of our actions in street medicine and beyond. When I have free time, I enjoy baking, hosting tea parties, and exploring the city!

Name: Allyson Andrews
Position: Vice Chief

Bio: Hi! My name is Allyson, and I’m a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s Master of Biomedical Sciences program. I first became involved with Street Medicine during my time at Pitt, where I have served as Vice President of Street Medicine at Pitt and helped lead rounds across Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. Through this work, I’ve developed a deep passion for relationship-centered outreach, harm reduction, and improving access to care for individuals experiencing homelessness. I also help coordinate our supply and resource systems to ensure our teams have what they need to support patients in nontraditional settings. Outside of street outreach, I love cooking, working out, and spending time with my family. I’m incredibly excited to join SMISC and help expand student engagement and collaboration across street medicine teams nationwide.

Name: Victoria Bacchi
Position: Student Liaison Director

Bio: My name is Victoria, and I am a senior pre-med student at the University of Pittsburgh. I first became involved in Street Medicine in 2023 through a collaboration between Street Medicine at Pitt and a patient advocacy club, Paws for Patients, where we helped create Street Med Go, a delivery service web app designed to centralize community resources and make them more accessible during outreach. Since then, I’ve served as the Didactic Events and Education Coordinator for Street Medicine at Pitt, a role that has shown me the importance of strengthening student street teams, increasing awareness of local resources, and creating meaningful opportunities for students to engage beyond rounds. Through these experiences, I’ve developed a passion for fostering collaboration and shared learning across schools. This year, I’m excited to continue advancing that goal and help unify student teams nationwide!

Name: Savannah Vetterly
Position: Programming Director

Bio: In the summer of 2021, I began volunteering with Operation Safety Net (OSN) as an EMT in a shelter clinic. From this experience, I quickly became aware of my passion for working with individuals experiencing homelessness. In 2022, I began going on street rounds with OSN and Street Medicine at Pitt, and needless to say, I absolutely loved my experience! Currently, I am a third year medical student and am involved with Loyola Street Medicine. Finally, I have been involved with SMISC over the past few years as Programming Coordinator and am excited to start my new role as Programming Director!

Name: Brina Ratangee
Position: Recruitment Director

Bio: Brina Ratangee (she/her) is a first-year medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She first became involved in Street Medicine while an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University, where she helped create ayu, the first-ever narrative medicine journal specifically for homeless health, and chaired the first two iterations of the Vanderbilt Homeless Health Conference. At Vanderbilt, she completed a B.A. and M.A. in Medicine, Health & Society, and aims to work at the intersection of emergency medicine, addiction medicine, geriatrics, and/or palliative care in the future. Her research interests center on how individuals' environments, both social and physical, shape their health. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, solving crosswords, and baking desserts.

Name: Ellie Armstrong
Position: Recruitment Director

Bio: Over the last four years, I've been unspeakably fortunate to work on the street as an EMT outreach specialist while supplementing Vanderbilt Homeless Health research! I've sporadically helped out with SMISC over the past couple years, so I'm especially excited to finally take on a larger role. Street medicine has taught me so much about being a better clinician and all-around human, and I truly can't wait to help SMI/SMISC continue to grow! 

Name: Camila Rudas
Position: Fundraising Director

Bio: Camila (Cam) Rudas is a third-year medical student at Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico. Born in Colombia and raised in Baltimore, Cam has a broad cultural background that continues to grow in Puerto Rico. Cam is passionate about erasing the gap between homelessness and healthcare with compassion, inclusivity and her lived experience. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, hiking and meeting new people. Cam is excited to join the SMISC team to seek whatever resources they need to keep supporting students worldwide!

Name: Adelina Geraghty
Position: Communications Director

Bio: Adelina is a third-year medical student at UIWSOM, returning for her second term with SMISC. She was introduced to street medicine in her first year of med school when she began volunteering on street rounds with Street Medicine San Antonio (SMSA), and would later become Street Medicine Liaison between her school and SMSA. Working in the student outreach side of street medicine is especially exciting to Adelina, as it combines her passions for street medicine and community/student organizing. When she isn’t checking the SMISC instagram, you can find her snuggling her three cats - Orcus, Omar, and Oliver. 

Name: Rebecca Zapata-Smith
Position: Programming Coordinator

Bio: My name is Rebecca Zapata-Smith, and I’m a third-year medical student at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and the co-founder of TCOM’s Street Medicine Student Coalition. My commitment to caring for people experiencing homelessness began in childhood when my mom created a family organization dedicated to helping our unhoused neighbors. Those early experiences shaped my understanding of compassion and the importance of meeting people where they are. At TCOM, I’ve continued this work by helping grow our street medicine efforts and building partnerships with local organizations. As SMISC’s Collaborations Coordinator, I’m excited to strengthen partnerships between SMISC and other organizations dedicated to supporting unhoused individuals!

Name: Megan Stafford
Position: SMISC Assistant

Bio: Megan Stafford is a medical student at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and a member of Street Medicine at Pitt, an interdisciplinary, student-led organization serving the greater Pittsburgh area. For the past 3.5 years, Megan has managed public relations for Street Medicine at Pitt by writing a biweekly newsletter, handling media inquiries, and sharing photos of the rounding teams on social media. She is excited to join the SMISC board and meet new peers who share her passion for improving health equity.

Name: Nima Shariatzadeh
Position: Team Development Specialist

Bio: Nima is a medical student at UT Health San Antonio whose work in street medicine is grounded in years of working in addiction treatment centers. His commitment to serving unsheltered individuals began through harm-reduction outreach with the Bexar Area Harm Reduction Coalition, where he helped build a student-run wound care program. Through navigating complex barriers to establishing this program, he learned to lead with persistence and collaboration- skills that continue to shape his approach to advocacy and program development. His work in street medicine is also deeply personal, informed by his exposure to addiction from a young age and the recognition that sometimes compassion, not consequence, is what truly changes lives. He is passionate about empowering fellow students to create sustainable, humanistic programs that meet people where they are. As a SMISC leader, he is dedicated to advising the next generation of street medicine advocates.

Name: Malea Joyce 
Position: Programming Coordinator

Bio: I was a volunteer EMT during undergrad where I was introduced to Street Medicine as a way to address patient needs and strains on ERs. In med school, I joined our Street Medicine, Addiction, and Harm Reduction team which has helped me continue to connect with the aspects of medicine that help me feel like I'm learning to integrate my medical knowledge with a more realistic understanding of what individual patients need.

Name: Maariya Sheikh
Position: Advocacy Chair

Bio: Hi! My name is Maariya, and I am a 2nd year undergraduate at Vanderbilt University studying Medicine, Health, and Society and Spanish on a pre-med track! I first became involved in street medicine through participating in the Vanderbilt Homeless Healthcare Conference. This showed me the importance of advocating for and centering the homeless community, which inspired me to join SMISC! Bringing 4+ years of advocacy experience with me, I am highly excited to work with inspiring individuals in the street medicine community and help empower street medicine teams advocate for their communities.

Name: Ashrit Ramesh
Position: Research Chair

Bio: Hi, my name is Ashrit, and I’m a sophomore at the University of Michigan on the pre-med track. I joined Wolverine Street Medicine at Michigan Medicine this past summer, and a run to the Detroit area gave me the chance to see the impact of street outreach firsthand. As Research Chair, I’m excited to work on various projects and support the workshops we’ll be holding throughout the year. I can’t wait to get started and continue learning from this incredible community.

Name: Divya Tase
Position: Webinar Chair

Bio: Divya is a sophomore pre-med majoring in Biology and Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. She has been volunteering with Street Medicine @ Pitt since December 2024 and is on the board as Social Media coordinator. Her favorite thing about Street Med is being able to make friends with like-minded people on rounds and being able to help people experiencing homelessness by listening to their stories, building trust, and just being a friend. She hopes to go to med school one day and continue being involved with Street Medicine even as a practicing physician. She is passionate about women's health in marginalized communities and public policy and in her free time, she loves to paint, sketch, and doodle.

Name: Sneha Sundar
Position: Student Liaison Coordinator

Bio: My name is Sneha Sundar and I am so excited to be a part of the SMISC team! I am a 3rd year medical student at Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine, hoping to pursue hospital and community medicine. I have been working in the street medicine space through Detroit Street Car for about 2.5 years now and am passionate to serve and uplift members of the community. In my free time, I love to paint, go to concerts, cook, and am currently learning to play the bass guitar!

We look forward to collaborating with you!