Christopher Gadomski
Atlanta, GA| Grant Category: | Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Program |
| Project Title: | Tibetan Resilience in Exile: Oral Histories of Displacement and Cultural Preservation |
| Field of Study: | Anthropology |
| Home Institution: | Emory University, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh |
| Host Institution: | College for Higher Tibetan Studies |
| Grant Start Month: | August,2024 |
| Duration of Grant: | Nine months |
Brief Bio:
Christopher Gadomski graduated with a major in neuroscience and behavioral biology and a minor in religion from Emory University where he studied the epigenetic underpinnings of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. During his time there, he volunteered as an advanced emergency medical technician and also served as the technical director for Emory’s internet Radio Station, WMRE. Since graduation, he has been researching in the area of neuroimmunology of brain metastases using computational and in vitro techniques. He plans to pursue a career in medicine and increase healthcare accessibility for the marginalized communities.
For more than 60 years, the Tibetan people have lived in exile to escape forced secularization and preserve their way of life. And they have succeeded despite immense hardship, as illustrated by the fact that their unique culture and religious practices now thrive in Dharamshala and around the world. What underlies this resilience against persecution and displacement? Chris’s Fulbright-Nehru project is helping to document, preserve, and promote the oral histories of the Tibetan exile community. This documentation of life in exile – past, present, and future – may provide an insight into how to cultivate resilience in other refugee communities and instill the values of compassion and well-being in the face of hardship.