Radhika Rawat, MD, PhD

VA Intern

Radhika was born in California and raised in Colorado. She attended UC Berkeley, where she double-majored in Rhetoric and Molecular and Cell Biology with a focus in Neuroscience, and was a student athlete on the Cal Judo team. She then completed her MD/PhD in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Her doctoral research in the Kessler lab examined stem cells and signaling pathways in adult hippocampal neurogenesis, supported by an NIH F30 fellowship grant. Radhika has also led research at the intersection of neurology and other disciplines including ENT, psychiatry, and clinical ethics. As a medical student, she was passionate about improving communication and leadership development for trainees, creating a curriculum within the MSTP that continues to help students develop these skills. Her current academic interests include movement disorders, neuroimmunology, and systems improvement in care delivery. While in Chicago, she served on the board of city organizations focused on food, housing, and healthcare access, and aims to continue similar work in LA. Outside of medicine, Radhika enjoys gardening, hiking, paddleboarding, and Brazilian jiu jitsu.