D. Daphne Owen

Daphne is originally from the San Francisco bay area, and is currently pursuing an MD at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Daphne graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 2009 with a BA in Sociology, and was awarded the 2009 Sociology Department Citation for her independent field research and Honors Thesis on the relationship between poverty and acces to maternal health care in urban Peru.  Working in the restaurant industry for many years to support herself, Daphne developed an understanding of the vulnerability of the immigrant populations whom she worked alongside.  During college, Daphne volunteered as a tutor/mentor for Mexican-American high school students, coached an inner-city track team, and volunteered at urban public hospitals in Oakland, CA and Piura, Peru.  Daphne was struck by the similarities in the social factors that negatively influence health in disadvantaged populations at home and abroad.  Motivated by her interest in social determinants of health and the desire to work directly with underserved populations, Daphne was inspired to study Medicine.

Since 2009, Daphne has been a volunteer and student coordinator at the Puentes de Salud.  In 2010, she developed an afterschool tutoring and wellness program for immigrant children in the patient community, and is currently the program’s Director.  She presented the program at the American Public Health Association’s 2011 annual meeting.  Daphne is the 2011 recipient of the Dr. Robert H. Jackson Leadership Award, given by the North American Educational Initiatives Foundation.

Daphne plans to dedicate her career to improving the health of vulnerable populations by combining her interest in Sociology with her medical training.