2022 Schmidt Science Fellow Emma Bonglack is exploring the missing pieces in our genetic puzzle to help everyone, no matter where they’re from, get better treatments.

Emma, from Cameroon, is on a mission at the University of Cambridge to uncover how genes related to iron deficiency play a role in diseases like diabetes and heart disease, especially in African communities often left out of research.

By understanding how certain genes affect health differently across the world, she aims to reduce health disparities in personalized medicine.

Her interdisciplinary science journey, from studying viruses to looking at our DNA for answers, is inspired by her own experiences and a desire to see medical breakthroughs benefit people everywhere equally.