Biology major gains health care advocacy skills at Project Insulin
When Eric Moyal, executive director of Project Insulin, visited the “Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation” class last spring to talk about his nonprofit, biology major Prabidhi Malla ’26 found the mission so intriguing that she wanted to intern there.
Project Insulin is a Providence, R.I.-based nonprofit seeking to create a generic insulin that is more affordable as a matter of health care equity. She got a chance to work with the organization through a funded winternship starting in December 2023 and January 2024, and she will continue to gain experience through May.
During winter break, Wheaton students have a chance to engage in experiential learning opportunities that are funded through a variety of sources that fulfill the Wheaton Edge promise to support students undertaking internships, research and volunteer work.
“Many of my experiences and volunteer work mirror the commitment that Project Insulin strives for—providing accessible health care to diverse communities,” said Malla, who is a May Fellow, co-chair of the Student Government Association’s Intercultural Board and co-president of the Pre-Health Society at Wheaton.
Working remotely, her responsibilities include attending meetings and taking notes, helping to develop pitches for events and conducting research that supports fundraising for Project Insulin. She also assists in developing and executing social media strategies and connecting with potential experts for podcasts.
“My role revolves around extensive insulin research, fundraising efforts and fostering discussions on this critical health care topic, which are essential for my career interests as it gives me a pathway to create connections with experts in health care,’’ said Malla, who hopes to work in the medical field.
“As a biology major, it’s important that I learn to critically analyze the different drug developments, and Eric has been exposing me to different proposals that Project Insulin has. I have been learning and understanding different terminology and, recently, I was introduced to assessing proposal quality,” she said. “I am excited to continue my work.”