Chowdhury Ibtida Tahmin is a first year Ph.D. student in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Minnesota. She received her medical degree from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Her Ph.D. advisor is Dr. Ida Fonkoue.
While working in Bangladesh as a physician, Ibtida observed that women are neglected in every sector of society, particularly healthcare, and that they are frequently victims of interpersonal abuse and trauma. However, due to social stigma, they are unable to voice their trauma or seek support for themselves. Motivated to give a voice to the health consequences of trauma for women in Bangladesh, Ibtida decided to pursue a Ph.D. program at University of Minnesota to investigate the cardiovascular consequences trauma exposure in young women. In the lab, her current research aims to determine if premenopausal women with PTSD present with vascular and hormonal changes linked to an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. After completing her Ph.D., Ibtida would like to continue her career as a principal investigator. She wants to focus her research on women’s health, especially minority women.
In her free time, Ibtida loves to spend time with her family, loves to do crafting and being outdoors.
