Lili Warren '12

Lili Warren grew up in Washington, D.C. in a French-American family. Yes, she was (and still is!) one of those proud “Rochambeau Forevers”. After graduating from the Lycée, Lili attended McGill University in Montreal, where she studied Psychology and Neuroscience. She then worked in a Molecular Neuroscience laboratory, exploring the roles of brain receptors. But soon she realized that while she was passionate about hard sciences, her calling was elsewhere – away from slicing tadpole brains. Her training in basic and social sciences, as well as her experience as a multicultural and trilingual global citizen, led her to pursue a Master’s of Public Health (MPH) at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. Here she strives to translate science into policy and make an impact at a population-wide scale.

Although she is still exploring the many areas within Public and Global Health, Lili is particularly interested in Human Rights issues, Public Health Ethics, and the Social Determinants of Health. Recently, Lili’s personal work at Columbia has focused on Public Health projects related to the use of integrative, mind-body medicine to improve adolescent and women’s health. For instance, she has been contributing to several pilot programs aiming to improve the lifestyle, eating habits, and sexual health of adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods of New York City. Her thesis work this year will focus on better understanding, and tackling, the current opioid epidemic in the United States.

Over the summer, Lili interned at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN agency whose mandate is to improve sexual and reproductive health around the globe. Her experience was truly insightful, rewarding, and inspiring. Through research and reaching out to experts and self-advocates, she compiled information on how to adapt Comprehensive Sexuality Education to the needs of two particular groups of vulnerable youth: young people in prison, and young people with disabilities. Throughout this project, Lili saw once again how the principles of science, evidence, and interdisciplinary collaboration are fundamental to the advancement of health and happiness around the globe.

She hopes that her trajectory will continue to push her towards challenging and inspiring projects directed towards helping to better the lives of underserved populations.

A FEW WORDS FOR ROCHAMBEAU

Etudier à Rochambeau a été pour moi une expérience d'une incroyable richesse. J’ai eu la chance de  grandir auprès d'élèves et de professeurs venus du monde entier avec en commun une réelle ouverture d’esprit et un vrai désir de partage. Avec eux j'ai appris le vivre et le réfléchir ensemble, dans le plus grand respect de chacun et la plus grande rigueur intellectuelle. Mon parcours et mon ambition actuelle en sont en partie les fruits. Je suis fière de faire partie de cette grande famille des anciens élèves de Rochambeau. Cette communauté internationale, respectueuse et diverse, continue de m’accompagner au fil de mes études et ces liens forts entre voyageurs, explorateurs de cultures et de langues, chercheurs interdisciplinaires, me donnent espoir en un monde futur généreux et inclusif. À mes amis de Rochambeau, à mes professeurs, je dis merci.