Major: Kinesiology - Sports Medicine concentration
Major: Chemistry
Minor: Biochemistry and Cell Biology

Nikhil Gattu is a junior majoring in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Medicine as well as Chemistry with a minor in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Growing up surrounded by sports and having an interest in medicine, he knew he wanted to pursue the Kinesiology major from the day he got accepted to Rice.

In the summer of 2018, he interned at Texas Children’s Hospital in the PM&R Department, working with children who were rehabbing from a variety of illnesses. This drew his interest to children’s health and that passion has been a driving force throughout his time at Rice.

This past year, Nikhil has worked with Dr. Laura Kabiri to examine physical fitness and physical activity in children who are homeschooled. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many children to homeschool, it is important to understand the possible health effects of this transition. Currently, he is also investigating potential differences between physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing in children and their parents during the pandemic. Nikhil presented his findings at the 2021 Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting.

Besides academics, Nikhil is involved with Rice All-Stars, an organization where Rice students play basketball with special needs children while fostering a safe and friendly environment. He serves as an Academic Fellow, plays for the Club Basketball team, helps out the Rice Women’s Basketball team in practice as a scout player, and is a Child Health Policy Intern at the Baker Institute. He also performs chemical biology research at BCM in Dr. Damian Young’s Lab. In his free time, he likes to run the outer loop or do anything outdoorsy, try new food around town, play pickup basketball, and spend time with friends and family.

Nikhil was recently awarded a 2021 American Kinesiology Association Undergraduate Award, and he is incredibly grateful for the experiences and opportunities Rice has given him, especially the Kinesiology Department. He hopes to attend medical school after graduating, carrying along the growth and lessons he has learned from his time here at Rice.