Aarya Karmarkar is a sophomore at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies, with interests in health, neuroscience, and sleeping. Since conducting a study on circadian rhythms in eighth grade, she has developed an interest in sleep medicine, which, combined with her growing personal experience with sleeplessness, inspired her TEDxYouthRVA speech. Her TEDx talk is a stride in converging public speaking and her research towards community impact. Some of Aarya’s previous works have included addressing issues of youth and public health as a speaker for a national Youth-Nex Conference at UVA, a former leader and advisor for the VDH Youth Advisory Council, and a writer published in the Pulitzer Center. Aarya enjoys researching topics such as neurodegenerative diseases and expanding scientific research with a program she started at her school. She is also part of clubs such as the newspaper and Model UN, hoping to combine communication with youth advocacy, and in her free time, enjoys doing speech and debate, running, and playing badminton.
