Varun Subramaniam

Varun Subramaniam graduated from Stanford in 2021 majoring in Computational Biology and minoring in East Asian Studies (Japanese). Varun is currently a medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai pursuing functional neurosurgery.At Cambridge, Varun will be starting a PhD in Psychiatry. His project will aim to uncover the brain circuits which drive compulsivity, a fundamental behavior relevant across many psychiatric conditions. After Cambridge, he will continue his career as a neurosurgeon-scientist, using the findings from his PhD to develop new brain stimulation targets to treat patients with addiction, OCD, eating disorders, and other compulsivity-based conditions.  Varun deeply resonated with the Gates mission of uniting scholars from diverse backgrounds who share a motivation to improve the lives of others. Addressing the global burden of mental illness requires a collective effort spanning research, education, and advocacy. He is thrilled to join a community endeavoring to solve one of humanity’s greatest challenges.