Student Spotlight: Divya Kaushal, MPH'26

Vision Beyond the Clinic: Divya Kaushal’s Holistic Approach to Eye Health and Public Policy

Divya Kaushal envisions a career where she merges clinical care with health policy and nutrition as an aspiring ophthalmologist and retinal surgeon. Her goal goes beyond treating eye diseases; she wants to address upstream health factors, including access to nutritious foods, which may prevent, manage, and even reverse chronic illnesses. To prepare for this goal, she enrolled in Dartmouth’s hybrid public health program.  

The MPH cohort whose hybrid studies began in July 2024 boasts a surgeon, a pharmacist, and doctors, as well as more recent graduates of bachelor’s degree programs. Kaushal's cohort, which started in July 2024, is composed of a broad group of professions, including surgeons, pharmacists, doctors, working professionals, and fresh grads. Kaushal, who has previously obtained a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from Columbia University.“This cohort is a great melting pot for learning and bouncing ideas off of one another,” she says. “It makes discussions really engaging.”  

Kaushal travels from Gainesville, Florida, to Hanover for Dartmouth's intense week sessions on campus. In Gainesville, she works as an ophthalmic scribe at Comprehensive Retina Consultants. She additionally serves as a clinical research assistant for the Florida Lions Retinopathy Foundation and assists a faculty member at the University of South Florida's College of Pharmacy in conducting ophthalmic research. Her scientific credentials include co-authored journal publications on small interfering RNA therapeutics, a book chapter on the biological basis of viral illness, and a study of nanomaterials for ophthalmic applications. Her undergraduate honors thesis at the University of South Florida examined the effectiveness of copper-zinc nanoparticles against probiotic lactobacillus in COVID-19 prevention. Her MS thesis at Columbia University examined Dark-Adapted Chromatic Perimetry Visual Fields and Retinal Structures in Patients with Retinal Dystrophies Associated With Inherited Retinal Degeneration.

"One of the main things that appealed to me about Dartmouth's public health program was the integration of health policy and clinical practice," says Kaushal, who has conducted research on both chronic disease mechanisms and emergent technologies that are designed to address global health concerns such as antibiotic resistance. "Dartmouth is very research-driven, and the opportunity to work with faculty on evidence-based policy is a big deal to me."

Her engagement in the yearly "Can Chronic Diseases Be Reversed?" symposium, awakened her interest in nutrition's function in chronic illness treatment. Kaushal worked as an administrative assistant for the event for four years, learning from physicians and researchers who explore the synergy of pharmacological and nutraceutical therapies in the treatment of Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and Parkinson's disease.

With her background in ophthalmology, she frequently thinks about patients with macular degeneration caused by age. While intravitreal injections may halt disease development, coverage frequently only covers one injection every five weeks, which may not be enough for some patients. "Sometimes people might need it more often or insurance just doesn't cover it," she said, "and they have to pay out of pocket." Lifestyle adjustments, such as increased physical activity and a plant-based, antioxidant-rich diet, may provide a more cost-effective, long-term solution. "That can help their ocular health and just their overall health," she said, "because everything is interconnected."

Kaushal is especially drawn to Dartmouth's emphasis on delivery science and practical relevance. "As someone interested in nutrition, the attention to systemic inefficiencies in care delivery really resonated with me," she shares. "It's about translating our classwork into tangible healthcare solutions through applied experiences."

She is particularly interested in the challenges to fair access to quality nutrition and care. "You really see those barriers in underserved neighborhoods, as seen in Washington Heights (NYC)," according to her. "I wanted to understand how to create sustainable change and improve population health."While Kaushal's academic and professional lives are busy she remains grounded by family and personal hobbies. Living in Gainesville with her parents and older brother, she values family dinners and home-cooked cuisine. Her current favorite? Burrito bowls with handmade cilantro-lime rice, salsa, and guacamole, all cooked fresh every morning.

Her commitment to wellbeing is also evident in her fitness journey. She resented running in her youth, but that changed when she watched the 2022 New York City Marathon from her apartment during graduate school. Inspired, she prepared for and finished the 2023 marathon. She is now on a journey to complete a half-marathon in each state in the U.S.. "I love running halfs," she adds. "You get your runner's high, but it's not too exhausting." She intends to tick Vermont off her list with a race in Shelburne in the autumn of 2025 right before running the 2025 NYC Marathon again.

Throughout it all, Kaushal remains strongly driven by a holistic approach to health. Her work, whether in the clinic, classroom, kitchen, or on the road, is guided by a clear vision: to improve lives by linking science, compassion, and policy.

POSTED 1/10/2025 AT 11:32 AM IN #studentspotlight #hybridmph