Isabella Turilli, a researcher in the Bansal Lab, wins the 2023 Rhodes Scholarship!

This week, a member of the GU Biology research community received one of the world’s most prestigious scholarships! Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic to begin a career in global health policy, Isabella Turilli (SFS ’22) studied science, technology, and international affairs (STIA) at Georgetown and began working in the lab of Dr. Shweta Bansal in 2020. In the Bansal Lab, she studied the interactions between climate change, disease, and natural disasters. Turilli also worked at the GU Center for Global Health Science and Security, where she helped create pandemic preparedness resources for the Health Security Net. And yet, she also found time to give back to her community, leading the Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service (GERMS) as one of its only crew chiefs during the pandemic. All in all, Isabella was a cherished member of the Georgetown community. Dr. Bansal describes her as “a gifted student whose ambition and passion demonstrate her potential as a leader of tomorrow.” Turilli also contributed to Georgetown Biology academically: as a TA for Foundations in Biology, Turilli went above and beyond her duties, returning multiple times to help students learn: “The fact that Isabella has continued to be invited back and was promoted to Head Teaching Assistant in January 2021 is a testament to her excellence in this role,” said Bansal. Currently a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations, Turilli now looks towards the future. During a demanding application period, she and other Georgetown Rhodes applicants analyzed countless essays and performed several mock interviews alongside Lauren Tuckley, the director of the Center for Research and Fellowships. Now that Turilli has become one of 32 American Rhodes Scholars in 2023 (and one of two at Georgetown!), she plans on pursuing research and a master’s in public policy at Oxford. Long-term, Turilli strives to become an expert in global health policy and to improve communities around the world using the experience she gains at Oxford. Congratulations, Isabella! To read more, visit https://www.georgetown.edu/news/isabella-turill-rhodes/