Symposium Committee Member

Paula Herbst (she/her) is a medical student at University of Illinois College of Medicine (’26). She grew up in Chicago and pursued her undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago. During her undergraduate years, she earned a  B.A. in psychology and conducted translational ovarian cancer research. Her experiences in both the laboratory and clinical settings provided her with a unique perspective on female sexual medicine, particularly in the context of cancer treatments. This exposure inspired her desire to further develop this interest during her time in medical school with the goal of applying it to her career. Prior to attending medical school, she spent two gap years conducting immunology research at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Currently, she is conducting HPV vaccination research in the context of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. She is also a board member of UICOM's Medical Students for Choice, where she advocates for reproductive health education and choices. In her free time, Paula loves running, reading, and spending time with her friends and family.