The Paths Students Take to Build Experience

Coming from a family of healthcare workers, a medical school-bound research assistant at Columbia University Medical Center, Jenny Li, first found her passion for HIV research at Duke University. While majoring in global health, Jenny was taught by a professor who worked to prevent HIV among girls in Kenya. Jenny credits this professor as the one who sparked her interest in HIV research, ultimately leading to her involvement in studies in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Columbia. Amidst the many innovative studies Jenny has worked on at Columbia, the ongoing CU-COMMITS study stands out to her. While focusing on her interests in the long-term effects of COVID-19, Jenny works on a section of the study that aims to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the sexual health and well-being of New York City residents.

Moreover, with her recent involvement in COVID-19 research, Jenny’s passion for infectious diseases has only grown. After being immersed in research experiences and learning opportunities at Columbia, Jenny has outlined what she loves about the goals of the CU-COMMITS study in the Columbia Research Unit.

I think when you learn about medicine and health and why people get sick beyond just the biology of it, it becomes a lot more nuanced and a lot more interesting.

Unlike many current studies, the CU-COMMITS study assesses numerous aspects of people’s lives that had the potential to impact their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately their overall sexual health. This is done through the REDCap survey, which consists of numerous questions that cover a vast range of details on people’s backgrounds and day-to-day lives. Jenny addresses the uniqueness of the survey and what interests her about it.

I think what's cool is that it asks very comprehensively about things like your life like your income level, your household income level, your education, your race, ethnicity, and the language you speak. That helps build a full picture.

The REDCap survey’s comprehensive questionnaire plays a crucial role in seeing how the COVID-19 pandemic and personal demographics of New York citizens impact sexual health. Ultimately, COVID-19 has forever changed and rewired the way our society operates. One of these changes is the popularization of telehealth resources that increases our access to care. Additionally, COVID-19 is also known to have impacts on many body systems, which Jenny points out.  

COVID has impacted other body systems, and we are looking at how people's lives and circumstances affect their health. And so I think that's something that I've been very interested in.

The CU-COMMITS study aligns with Jenny’s interests because it aims to see how people’s lifestyle, income, and history can change how their sexual health has been impacted by COVID-19. Many studies have looked at the effects of COVID-19 on the body, but the CU-COMMITS study differs due to the specificity of the sexual health-related aspects of COVID-19.

The CU-COMMITS study is important because it reached  a wide range of respondents from New York City, where many are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and Long-COVID. Jenny Li plays a key role in this study by coding and analyzing data for the project. Jenny hopes to continue in the field of infectious disease and broaden her knowledge in medical school, building on the experience she gained in the Columbia Research Center.  

Since our interview in the summer of 2024, Jenny together with Saba Ahmed presented the results of this project at an international conference, HIV Research for Prevention, October 2024, in Lima, Peru. They are now writing up the article with the team. Jenny also got accepted to medical school and is starting classes August 2025. Congratulations, Jenny!