Maya Nelson

Maya I. Nelson is a clinical research coordinator at the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit, focusing her efforts on distracted driving research in the Behavioral Science & Analytics for Injury Reduction (BeSAFIR) Lab portfolio.

Prior to joining the Nudge Unit, Maya interned at the AME Church International Health Commission in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. While there, she performed geographic information systems (GIS) database development, qualitative and quantitative analyses, and GIS mapping as a member of a local and regional resource team. She also worked for Harmony Cares, servicing vulnerable populations with vaccines, venipuncture, and primary health care under the scope of Dr. Eliza Thornton.

Maya obtained a Bachelor of Science, majoring in biology, from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. Maya prides herself on servicing the Philadelphia community as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. An aspiring epidemiologist, Maya looks forward to continuing her work studying vulnerable populations and fighting for health equity disparities through research. She is currently pursuing a master's in public health from LaSalle University, where she was inducted into the National Honors Society and will be graduating in with honors in May 2023.