Sammy Deol

Fulbright/University of Birmingham Award

Originally from Ithaca, New York, Sammy Deol graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with his B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in chemistry.

Through Fulbright, Sammy is pursuing his Master of Public Health at the University of Birmingham. He plans to write his dissertation on the prevalence of substance use disorders among Sikh populations in England’s West Midlands. His interest stems from addiction research that he pursued as an undergraduate, when he investigated the effects of parental addiction on youth behavioral development. Sammy also wishes to explore how accessible interventions can be implemented in communities where discussions about substance use disorders and mental health are stigmatized.

Outside of his addiction research, Sammy is passionate about neuroscience. He has conducted medulloblastoma and spinal cord injury research in labs at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Rochester, respectively. While in college, he was also a writer and editor for RIT’s student magazine, Reporter, and a senator in Student Government. His favorite pastime is playing basketball.

Following his year in Birmingham, Sammy hopes to attend medical school and become a physician.