Lena Juratli is pursuing a career in medicine because she wants to connect with others and improve their quality of life.

“I am seeking a career that allows me to fulfill my altruistic goals and build on care and compassion,” she said. “My long-term goal is to be a doctor who my patients know they can fully trust.”

To work toward this goal, Juratli is deeply interested and involved in research.

Her research career began in Professor Krisanu Bandyopadhyay’s nanoshell laboratory, where Juratli eventually took on a lead role. She still works in his lab, but has expanded her research work into the community. She’s a research associate at Beaumont Health, working with Beaumont-Royal Oak’s department of gynecology/oncology, where she retrospectively studies the toxicity of radiation therapy as an adjunctive treatment in postmenopausal women with papillary serous cancer. And this summer, she will complete a cardiovascular research fellowship at University of Michigan Medical School.

Juratli looks to serve outside of the lab too. She is a student mentor teaching assistant for chemistry courses and a Supplemental Instruction (SI) leader. She’s been named Outstanding SI Mentor for her mentorship of new SI leaders in general chemistry and calculus-based physics courses.

“Lena is a bright, talented, exceptional and hard-working student with a solid work ethic and genuine empathy for others,” said Chemistry Professor Ali Bazzi. “Her exemplary and outstanding work as an SI leader was instrumental in the success of many students in CHEM 136.”

Passionate about care and education, Juratli also volunteers to teach students with special needs at Beaumont Children’s Center for Exceptional Families. “The self-efficacy that I am able to instill in these individuals, coupled with the joy and warmth that they bring me, further convinces me that I will always engage in community service because I want to connect with others and improve their quality of life.”