Myeisa Barnhill

Myeisa Barnhill is a senior at the University of Connecticut pursuing a dual degree in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Africana Studies with a minor in Social Justice Organizing. She is the co-Lead Student Investigator at the Health Professions, Health care and Social Inequality Lab under Dr. Fumilayo Showers. As part of the Post-Mortem of a Pandemic (PMP) project within the HealthCare Lab, Myeisa serves as a recruiter and interviewer, working directly with professional nurses to document their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their role involves conducting in-depth interviews that explore how nurses navigated the shifting demands of work, life, and death throughout the crisis. Through this qualitative research, they help uncover the emotional, ethical, and institutional challenges nurses faced, as well as the broader social inequalities embedded in the healthcare system. Their work supports the project’s goal of building a deeper understanding of the pandemic’s long-term impact on frontline healthcare workers and the structures in which they operate. Myeisa also currently works in Connecticut Children’s Hospital in Hartford, CT, helping to enroll patients into various studies under MCB 3189. Currently, Myeisa is enrolled in a FastTrack Master of Public Health program that cultivates her desire to service marginalized communities she hopes to conduct more research in the Social and Behavioral Health Sciences and/or Health Policy and Management.