Najia Saleem

Najia Saleem is a fourth-year Human Biology and Society major at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is involved in clinical research with the Laboratory for Clinical and Affective Psychophysiology (LCAP) and sociological research with the BioCritical Studies Lab. Her current research with the BioCritical Studies Lab centers the black and brown people who have been impacted by the carceral system. The lab’s output is generated in the form of reports which help reform the system. These reports, such as an analysis of 58 autopsies marked as natural death, fuel political organizers and raise awareness in the media.

This year, Najia will be building on her research with the term “restraint asphyxia” and its relation to the classification of manner of death in autopsy reports. She is also continuing her work with Mentors for Academic and Peer Support (MAPS), which is focused on removing barriers to higher education for people of color through student empowerment and community building. She hopes to use her research and experiences to promote equity and reduce racial disparities, especially in healthcare as a future physician.