Sydney Lash, a Biomedical Informatics PhD student at UNC Chapel Hill, is dedicated to improving health equity in clinical research. Currently, she is a data scientist working with Novant Health’s Cancer Research Team. In this role, she works end-to-end with patient data to improve patient experience and outcomes. Sydney’s research and professional experiences have strengthened her dedication to using data-driven approaches to enhance healthcare, especially for marginalized communities. She aims to develop innovative methods and algorithms to incorporate various novel data sources, with a special focus on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), to achieve better health outcomes for all.

Within her local community she volunteers at Urban ministries and is engaged in the Black Graduate Student Association at UNC. In her free time she enjoys reading, weight training, nature walks, and exploring the city.