Sylvia Sawislak, BS

Sylvia Sawislak is a Research Assistant at the Harvard University FXB Center for Health and Human Rights where she works with Dr. Margareta (Magda) Matache in the Roma Program for Health and Human Rights. In this role, she contributes to a multi-country initiative on Romani feminist leadership and climate justice, supporting research design, data collection, and community engagement with Roma women and girls across Europe.

Sylvia earned her B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2023. In Fall 2026, she will begin her nursing studies at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, one of the nation’s leading nursing schools, as she pursues her goal of becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

Sylvia serves on the Board of Directors of Voice of Roma, a California-based Roma human rights and cultural nonprofit. In 2024, she co-authored a children’s book with Hristo Kyuchukov that uplifts Roma narratives and experiences.

Her passions focus on advancing equity in pediatric health and patient care, with particular attention to reducing bias and barriers to care for children and families in marginalized communities. She is committed to integrating clinical practice, public health, and human rights approaches to improve health outcomes for underserved populations.