Rohitha Ravisekar, MBBS, MHA, MS, is a physician and health care administrator from India, with expertise in patient care, disease diagnosis and management, health care quality, patient safety, and hospital administration.
However, she wanted to know more—much more—about the environmental, social, and systemic forces that can shape individual health outcomes. In the following Q&A, Dr. Ravisekar discusses how Mount Sinai’s Master of Science in Epidemiology program has given her the tools she needs to improve health at the population level.
You have accomplished much in your career. What is your background?
Most recently, I worked in a dual capacity as a clinician and quality manager, leading patient management, quality improvement initiatives, and accreditation efforts. I also worked as a research consultant with a firm that delves into data-driven health care analytics projects. However, I have become increasingly interested in the larger factors that influence health long before patients enter the health care system.
What first attracted you to medicine and epidemiology?
As a child, I was fascinated by blood. When I or someone got hurt, instead of only sympathizing, I would be immediately engaged in how to stop it, and I would ask a lot of questions.
It was a curiosity that would eventually grow into a deeper interest in how the human body works and led me to get a medical degree. Years later, while working in a community hospital, I began to realize that many of the factors influencing health exist long before a patient ever enters a hospital, and that environmental, social, and systemic forces shape health outcomes. Epidemiology gave me the tools to explore these bigger questions and understand health beyond the “one patient” approach. I became focused on improving health at the population level.
Who were your Mount Sinai mentors, and what are some of your research highlights?
I was quite fortunate to have outstanding mentors. My faculty advisor, Vishal Midya, PhD, introduced me to a fascinating way of thinking about health through the lens of the exposome and elemental biodynamics. Working with him was akin to learning a new language, one spoken by code, metals, and time. I am also incredibly grateful for the guidance of Francheska Merced-Nieves, PhD, Program Director, MS in Epidemiology, who somehow always seemed to have the answer to whatever question I was about to ask next. Apart from faculty, the program manager and several student mentors helped me successfully navigate the program, manage expectations, and answer the many questions I had being an international student entering a new field. My research is essentially centered around outcomes associated with elemental biodynamics, more specifically how the elemental signatures preserved in children’s teeth can provide clues about dynamic patterns of metal uptake and metabolism during critical developmental windows. Using advanced statistical and machine learning methods, my work aims to establish their relationship to future health outcomes.
Why Mount Sinai—what, specifically, are the strong points of this program?
New York City has some of the world’s leading centers for health care, biomedical research, public health innovation, and scientific collaboration. There is an unparalleled environment for learning, discovery, and application. Mount Sinai sits at the heart of that ecosystem. One of the program’s greatest strengths is its integration within a state-of-the-art academic medical center where research questions arise directly from real-world clinical and public health challenges. The MS in Epidemiology program combines rigorous epidemiologic training with access to exceptional faculty, groundbreaking research, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. Students are encouraged to think beyond traditional boundaries and apply epidemiologic methods to complex health problems. Being able to learn in an environment where scientific discovery, patient care, and public health intersect every day makes Mount Sinai an ideal place for training.
How else did you excel at Mount Sinai?
I participated in a variety of activities, including a community walk and community health screening events, and I supported conferences and academic events as a volunteer. I was part of the Students for Equal Opportunity in Science peer mentorship program, which allowed me to connect with fellow students and mentors, share experiences, and help build a supportive learning environment. I also enjoyed participating in cultural and community activities that brought together students from diverse backgrounds. These experiences helped me build friendships, strengthen my leadership and communication skills, and reminded me that graduate school offers students opportunities that extend beyond academic courses.
What’s Next?
I want to build a career at the intersection of epidemiology, environmental health, and health care improvement, with a particular focus on translating research findings into meaningful changes in clinical care. I am especially interested in risk prediction and identifying early life factors that can help detect disease before symptoms emerge. Long term, I would like to work with organizations that operate on a global scale, where research can inform policies, programs, and clinical practices that improve health outcomes across populations. Whether through research, implementation, or education, my goal is to ensure that scientific discoveries do not remain in journals but ultimately reach the patients and communities they are meant to serve. And, as I continue to pursue new avenues, I want to remain grateful for my children, family, friends, and mentors for their continued support and encouragement. I could not have done any of this without them.