Karen Carvajal, MD, is an infectious diseases fellow at University of Rochester, NY. After studying philosophy at the University of Chile, she began her medical education in Cuba. Working in chronic disease programs in an underserved area of Santiago, Chile reinforced for her how living conditions directly affect health outcomes. Her interest in HIV and global health drew her to the study of infectious diseases and to seeing the urgency that neglected diseases pose. She believes that the need to understand the fragile relationship between the humans and the environment is urgent, calling it “a delicate balance that, if it breaks, will threaten our existence.”