Karen N DSouza

SUMMARY Karen DSouza is a 3rd-year Clinical and Translational Science Ph.D. Student at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MCGSBS). Her research interests are more broadly in issues around reproductive ethics, women's health, and health disparities in access to care, where her graduate work is focused on studying the perceptions and experiences of fertility preservation in transgender and gender-diverse patients. FOCUS AREAS --Assessing health disparities in access to fertility preservation, especially for transgender and gender diverse patients. --Understanding barriers to pursuing specialized care in historically excluded and stigmatized communities. --Developing strategies to alleviate health disparities and barriers to reproductive and fertility care. SIGNIFICANCE TO PATIENT CARE Karen's research impacts patient care at Mayo Clinic, where she collaborates with Clinicians in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Transgender and Intersex Specialty Care Clinic to measure and improve the provision of fertility counseling and treatment services. She is also involved in developing educational material for medical and graduate students to improve the ethical provision of both inclusive care and research at Mayo Clinic's Graduate and Medical Schools.