Shira Hornstein

Shira Hornstein is a student in the MD-PhD program at Harvard Medical School. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 2021 with dual B.A.s in Government and Biology. During her undergraduate studies, Shira worked on diverse research projects. As a James O. Freedman Presidential Scholar, she investigated the effects of perfluoroalkyl substances on breastfeeding under Megan Romano, PhD. At Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), she assisted Ravikumar Balasubramanian, MBBS, in researching the link between the severity of genetic mutations and phenotypes in Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism. In her undergraduate thesis, supervised by Brendan Nyhan, PhD, Shira examined the impact of political messaging during COVID-19 on public opinion through a survey experiment and interviews with politicians from three U.S. states. These varied experiences reinforced Shira's commitment to both clinical medicine and public health policy research. Before starting her MD-PhD in 2022, Shira spent a gap year at MGH’s Cancer Outcomes Research and Education Center, where she worked with Ryan Nipp, MD, MPH, and Daniel Lage, MD, studying the effects of home care and palliative-care interventions on cancer outcomes for patients with advanced disease. Additionally, her volunteer work at a syringe exchange profoundly influenced her interest in substance use policy and harm reduction. Shira's research interests include public opinion and health messaging, particularly related to substance use policy, harm reduction, and reproductive access.