Site Director
drshanaye@dodiaspora.org
Dr. Shanaye Jeffers is an Obstetrics & Gynecology intern at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She was one of the original teachers in DoD Philadelphia and just took lead as DoD Philadelphia Site Director in May 2017. She was born in Brooklyn, NY and studied at both Haverford College and the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania.
Shanaye has remained passionate about medicine since she was a little girl, however her dedication to women's health, strength and empowerment-- namely black women-- revealed itself in college. She is extremely honored to be apart of Daughters of Diaspora, Inc. and is excited about its bright future.
Site Coordinator
dodphilly@dodiaspora.org
Melanie A. Bowser is a Philadelphia, PA native and a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health for the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Howard University. While at Howard, she worked as a bio-medical research intern participating extensively in a sleep study methodology at Howard University Hospital. She participated in SMDEP, an intensive academic preparation program for students interested in medical careers. She gained individual and group learning study skills, financial planning and health policy. She also participated in clinical rotations and seminars. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys reading, traveling, physical fitness activities, and spending time with family and friends.
Medical Student Team Leaders.
Ademide "Dolly" Adelekun is a UNC Chapel Hill alumna and second-year medical student at Penn. Dolly has an academic background in public health, with research and work experience focused on sexual health interventions and their impact. As an undergraduate, she worked with her school’s Black Student Union to develop and implement sexual health and development programs in the Mississippi Delta. She finds joy in mentoring and connecting with young women as well as researching policy and structural issues that shape the lives of women throughout the world. Dolly has found a niche in sexual and reproductive health policy research and advocacy through fellowships at UNAIDS and AIDS United, and internship placements at community based health organizations in Cape Town and Dakar.
She is a daughter of the diaspora, born in Nigeria, raised in the US – with eyes open to the structural violence and hardship black women in her home here and home abroad endure. She is excited about the opportunity to connect with and learn from a community of young women and mentors in the medical field while working towards finding shared freedom through education and our bound as sisters. Email her at dolly@dodiaspora.org
She is a daughter of the diaspora, born in Nigeria, raised in the US – with eyes open to the structural violence and hardship black women in her home here and home abroad endure. She is excited about the opportunity to connect with and learn from a community of young women and mentors in the medical field while working towards finding shared freedom through education and our bound as sisters. Email her at dolly@dodiaspora.org
Claudia Gambrah was born in Ghana but claims Texas as her second home. Claudia is a third year medical student at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, currently on leave in Brazil. She is the oldest of four. Claudia left small town Beaumont, TX in 2009 and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2013 with a B.A. in Biochemistry and Spanish. She absolutely loved her undergraduate experience and was involved in the Association of Black Students, taught anatomy and physiology in a local middle School, and served as a Residential Advisor for two years.
When Claudia isn’t studying all day for tests, she can be found running outdoors or working out at the gym, roaming the streets of Center City with her camera or watching her favorite TV shows on Netflix. Claudia has been recently bitten by the “wanderlust bug” and cannot wait to realize her newfound dreams of traveling the world! Claudia is so excited to be apart of the Daughters of Diaspora family and cannot wait to see what the next few years have in store for her! Email her at claudia@dodiaspora.org
When Claudia isn’t studying all day for tests, she can be found running outdoors or working out at the gym, roaming the streets of Center City with her camera or watching her favorite TV shows on Netflix. Claudia has been recently bitten by the “wanderlust bug” and cannot wait to realize her newfound dreams of traveling the world! Claudia is so excited to be apart of the Daughters of Diaspora family and cannot wait to see what the next few years have in store for her! Email her at claudia@dodiaspora.org
Ivy Maina was born in Nairobi, Kenya and grew up mostly in Toronto, Canada. She is a third year medical student at the University of Pennsylvania and interested in women's health and Obstetrics & Gynecology as a possible specialty. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking and Netflix! Email her at ivy@dodiaspora.org
Bianca Nfonoyim is a second-year medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She was born and raised in East Brunswick, NJ and graduated from Harvard College in 2015 with a B.A. in Neurobiology. While at Harvard, Bianca volunteered as a high school health educator with Peer Health Exchange, a national non-profit, and taught dance and creative expression games to fifth grade students with CityStep. She also did extensive research on the biology of Alzheimer’s disease and collaborated with others to publish a paper on the subject in 2016. After graduating college, she spent seven months teaching English in elementary schools in the south of France. Bianca’s career goals include caring for underserved, minority pediatric patients in a clinical setting as well as addressing the health inequities faced by this population through research and health policy interventions. Her non-medical hobbies include teaching, hip-hop dancing and distance running. Email her at bianca@dodiaspora.org
Joy Obayemi is a second-year medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating from a high school focused on the medical sciences, she attended Stanford University where she became a sociology major and involved herself heavily in social science research, middle school science education, and peer health mentorship. She completed an honors thesis in sociology on race relations in Paris, France and spent her gap year continuing this research and pursuing a Master’s degree in Paris as a Fulbright scholar. As a medical student, Joy is involved with a variety of organizations that serve underserved or marginalized communities in Philadelphia, such as a blood pressure screening program called Cut Hypertension, the Penn Refugee Women’s Clinic, the Project Home Street Outreach Clinic for people experiencing homelessness, and Dance for Health to encourage exercise among people in the community. Joy is incredibly excited to be a part of Daughters of the Diaspora and to empower young women with knowledge about sexual and reproductive health. Email her at joy@dodiaspora.org