Pearl Teiko is an incoming MPP student at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy. Pearl graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy with a Health and Society minor. In her time at UNC, Pearl developed her analytical skills as a research assistant for Dr. Tonia Poteat on the LITE Plus project, an NIH-funded study that observes the effects of minority stress on transgender women of color. She also became active in politics as a Senate Intern in the office of Senator Jay Chaudhuri (NC-15), where she connected with state legislators to gain a working knowledge of the policymaking process. In the future, she hopes to work alongside lawmakers and policy practitioners to improve public health through innovative policy analysis and implementation. During her internship at Duke-Margolis, she will be working on the North Carolina Integrated Care for Kids Project under the direction of Dr. Rushina Cholera and Sarah Allin to strengthen integrated care models and holistically address health disparities for children and families across the state.
