Gyawu selected as 2025 Sharma Fellow

Rebecca Gyawu, MSc, third-year PhD student, was awarded the Shreela and Vibhu Sharma Endowment for Excellence in Community Nutrition, Climate Health, and Sustainability. Established in 2017 by Shreela Sharma, PhD, RDN, LD, professor and vice chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Director, Center for Health Equity, and her husband Vibhu Sharma, CEO of InnoVent Renewables, the Sharma Fellowship provides pre-doctoral students with a $2,000 stipend per semester to support research in the critical areas of nutrition, climate health, and sustainability research.  

Gyawu, in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, will leverage this fellowship to further research in community nutrition. Her research interests focus on preventing and managing diet-related chronic diseases, particularly hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, among underserved communities, including people of African descent. 

"Through this fellowship, I hope to deepen my research skills and gain hands-on experience conducting studies that can directly impact health outcomes related to chronic disease management and prevention," said Gyawu. "This opportunity will allow me to apply theoretical knowledge from my coursework in a practical setting, collaborate with experienced mentors, and contribute to meaningful projects." 

Gyawu's dedication to improving health outcomes has been a guiding force throughout her academic journey. Growing up in Ghana, she witnessed firsthand her mother's struggle with hypertension and chronic kidney failure, which ultimately led to her passing. "This profound loss influenced my life and career aspirations, fueling my commitment to design interventions that aim to improve health outcomes among underserved communities such as people of African descent," she shared.  

Over the course of the academic year, Gyawu will continue her commitment to supporting underserved populations by designing impactful research interventions through the Sharma Fellowship. “This fellowship is important for our students because, in partnership with the community, students get hands-on research and practice experiences needed to improve their understanding of climate health and food insecurity issues, some of the most critical problems of our time faced by our most vulnerable communities,” said Shreela Sharma, PhD, RDN, LD. 

Fellows are given the opportunity to collaborate with established research centers to leverage and enhance the fellow’s work and impact on public health. Gyawu will work closely with the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, the Center for Health Equity, and the non-profit Brighter Bites.   

"The opportunity to collaborate with these centers and contribute to the work with Brighter Bites to improve food security among underserved communities is truly inspiring. I am excited and honored to be selected as the 2025 Sharma Fellow."