Anita Silver Shlesinger
PhD Student
Biomedical Engineering
About Me:
Anita Silver Shlesinger is a sixth-year PhD candidate in the BIG IDEAs Lab at Duke University, where she focuses on health data science at the intersection of cardiovascular disease, wearable technologies, the gut microbiome, and artificial intelligence. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and is passionate about leveraging data-driven approaches to better understand and prevent chronic disease. Her current research explores the role of the gut microbiome in subclinical atherosclerosis, integrating computational methods with physiological insights to uncover early markers of cardiovascular risk.
Grateful for six years of fellowship funding supporting her graduate training, Anita approaches her work with both curiosity and confidence, guided by the advice to always assume you have something to contribute. Inspired by Hedy Lamarr, the actress and inventor whose ingenuity bridged art and engineering, she brings creativity to complex scientific questions (and occasionally channels that energy into a well-earned happy dance when celebrating a win). A Garmin enthusiast for its focused commitment to wearable innovation, she fuels long research days with chai tea and often listens to Maisie Peters’ The Good Witch while working through data.
Outside the lab, Anita can most likely be found at home or out on a walk, and on weekends she enjoys hiking. A hidden talent? She can juggle - an apt metaphor for balancing code, coursework, and research. When it’s time for comfort, Indian food tops the list, and she continues to explore how thoughtful, interdisciplinary science can shape the future of cardiovascular health.
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- 2020-2021 Duke Pratt Gardner Fellowship
- 2021-2023 NIH T32 Training Award
- 2023-2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
- Project funding from the Precision Microbiome Engineering Center, the Duke Microbiome Center, and by Verily Life Sciences
- 2026-2027 Zuckerman Postdoctoral Scholar
