Annika Avula

Biomedical Engineering, Washington University

Mathematics, Centre College

Annika Avula is from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Centre College. During her undergraduate studies, she gained hands-on clinical experience as a phlebotomist and COVID-19 screener while maintaining a varied research footprint that ranged from building MATLAB simulations for COVID-19 transmission to developing microfluidic devices for mechanobiology studies. She later provided compassionate end-of-life care as a hospice volunteer and shared her love for teaching as a mathematics instructor. Her drive to innovate at the intersection of engineering and patient care culminated in co-founding CERV, Inc., a maternal health startup. Operating as COO and working closely with her co-founders, she helped prototype a patent-pending cervical dilation monitor that won an NIH DEBUT Prize and secured global finalist status in the Princeton TigerLaunch competition.

Avula chose the EnMed program to further her goal of bridging engineering, medicine, and the humanities to create equitable, human-centered care. Inspired by her father’s dedication to his rural internal medicine practice and her formative experience serving as a caregiver for a family member, she is driven to eliminate healthcare barriers for overlooked populations. She plans to employ her engineering mindset to identify clinical gaps at the bedside and build accessible medical technologies that improve patient outcomes. Avula holds strong clinical interests in women’s health and holistic care and she looks forward to engaging with the Houston community through advocacy and community service.

Outside of her clinical and academic pursuits, Avula enjoys creative writing and journaling, tracking her latest reads on Goodreads, and dabbling as an amateur film critic on Letterboxd. To recharge, she loves traveling, catching up with friends, baking, making a great cup of coffee or chai, going on long walks, and exploring Houston’s diverse restaurant scene.