Fabiha Chowdhury

Global Challenge: Oral Health Equity: Approaches through Oral Health Literacy, Addressing Dental-Medical Divide and Gaps in Oral-Systemic Science

Abstract:

GLASS gave me the space and structure to move from noticing a problem to naming it precisely. Over three years, I moved between lab benches, lectures, dental wards, and community clinics in seven countries, and GLASS was the constant that pushed me to keep asking why each system looked the way it did. Framing my observations in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and how I can apply my knowledge as a Global Leader, inspired my approach to view issues in dentistry on a systemic level.

Through Tandon Service Learning trips in Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Thailand, I saw how staffing, supply, and insurance design shaped what counted as a “reasonable” dental plan when a patient finally sat in the chair. In the UAE, France, and South Korea, I was able to broaden my skill set as a scholar by learning about variations in education systems with different cultural backgrounds firsthand, and how instruction ranged from technical courses in artificial intelligence to more nuanced classes centered around social innovation and sustainable problem solving. With further studies in Japan around management and disability studies, I understood my clinical observations as policy choices rather than coincidences.

Through GLASS seminars, work amongst students as a Wellness Ambassador, and incentives to stay engaged through the five GLASS Windows, I was able to diversify my portfolio and perspectives as an individual and connect my experiences back to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well‑Being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and to Tandon’s Engineering Health impact area (United Nations News, 2022). They transformed my interest in dentistry from a career goal into a systems‑level question inspired by the principles of design thinking: how can oral health stop being treated as optional when the science says otherwise?
 

Bio:

Fabiha Chowdhury studied Biomolecular Science with a minor in Public Policy and Management at NYU. Her interest in dentistry led her to examine the field systemically, focusing on UN SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Through the GLASS Honors Program, she took an interdisciplinary approach to dentistry in the SDG context, drawing on her experience growing up in Queens. Academic research and Tandon's Vertically Integrated Project Teams helped her connect global clinical experiences to oral health equity issues in her home city. She expanded her skillset through coursework at INSA Lyon in Artificial Intelligence, disability studies and management at Waseda University, and social innovation at Hanyang University.

Beyond her NYC clinical work as a Dental Assistant, she joined NYU Service Trips in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Kenya, which shifted her focus from research toward hands-on clinical practice. She also attended the World Congress of Dental Traumatology in Japan and ADEA Annual Session in Montreal to further delve into her professional development going into dentistry. Through GLASS, Fabiha emerged as an advocate for accessible oral healthcare, dedicated to advancing equity in dentistry.