Neurologists understand the function and anatomy of the brain, but how it works is still something of a mystery. Honors College senior Pranav Malladi wants to be a part of the generation that changes that.
“The brain is such a complicated organ, and we don't really know much about it,” says Malladi, a neuroscience major from Atlanta. “I've been interested in medicine for as long as I can remember, and I remember neuroscience being the first thing that caught my eye. I think a lot of it has to do with my grandmother having Parkinson's disease. I didn't know what it was when I was younger, but that added to the mystery aspect of the brain and figuring out things we don't know about it.”
His grandmother, who lived in India, did not have access to adequate health care and had to be brought to the U.S. to receive treatment. That experience led him to focus on health care in rural areas.
“I think brain health is very important, especially in a rural setting where a lot of people don't have access to that kind of specialty care,” he says. “Even if they have a hospital — or just a physician — it's usually just basic health care, and they’re forced to leave town to get specialty care. I want them to be able to get that care from the comfort of their own hometown.”
During his freshman year, he started working as a research assistant in assistant professor Dan Foster’s lab. The lab focuses on understanding how neurotransmission is regulated and identifying how different medications can be used to treat psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorders.
“I've always told myself that I wanted to make a difference in the world, and what better place to start than South Carolina.”
His interest in brain health also led him to join SC Synapse his sophomore year. SC Synapse is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about brain injuries in Columbia. Now he serves as the organization’s president and helps organize volunteering opportunities with local nursing homes and brain health clinics for members, as well as working with local brain health groups and labs like the Aphasia Lab at USC.
Outside the classroom, he is an EMT and also volunteers at Prisma Health, which has helped him learn how to build trust with patients.
“I always thought it was cool to be on an ambulance, but, beyond that, it's a great way to get medical experience,” he says. “It's a great way to learn how to interact with people. We have patients of different backgrounds, and being able to relate to them is very important, especially because your patients might not be comfortable with you as a provider unless you're able to relate to them, and being an EMT has given me good practice for that.”
After graduating, Malladi would like to serve rural communities as a physician. He says USC has given him many opportunities to gain experience and a solid foundation for medical school.
“I've always told myself that I wanted to make a difference in the world, and what better place to start than South Carolina,” he says.