Samirah joined the team in 2026. Samirah is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan School of Engineering. She is interested in combining medicine, engineering, and health equity, with a focus on improving patient care and access for underserved communities.
Through her experiences in engineering and healthcare-related work, she has become interested in how research and design can be used to improve the way patients experience care and manage chronic conditions.
What motivates you to do this work?
A big part of my motivation comes from personal experience. Watching a close family member live with lupus made me more aware of how difficult it can be for patients to navigate the healthcare system, especially when they are dealing with uncertainty, stress, and not always feeling fully understood.
That experience made me care a lot about improving the patient experience, not just in terms of treatment, but also in communication, accessibility, and emotional support. It also made me more interested in how technology and design can be used to make healthcare feel more supportive and easier to engage with.
I’m excited by opportunities like this because they help me better understand patient experiences and learn how to create solutions that actually reflect what people need in real life.