Speaker Profile: Cyrena Gawuga

Cyrena Gawuga is a Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology

Program at Brown University. Her research focuses on the interaction between

psychological stress and the neuroimmune system, influenced in part by her experiences

living with lupus and bipolar disorder. Navigating the health care system as a full­time

student prompted her interest in patient empowerment. Cyrena is an advocate for

improved treatment of mental illness in autoimmune disease patients, and support for

chronically ill students in higher education.