Chantal Ameh, COL ’27, Liverpool, United Kingdom
This summer, I had the privilege of working alongside physiotherapist Dr. Ann Nwabuebo at Body Connect Physical Therapy in Bethesda, Maryland, as well as researcher Dr. Jaclyn Hadfield on a project exploring the intersection of menstrual health, body image, and exercise. I was very lucky, as a result of cold emailing academics around America conducting research that aligns with my interests, to obtain the second opportunity with Dr. Hadfield following my Summer Funding Award was announced The project with Dr. Ann Nwabuebo was among adolescent and young adult female athletes, whereas the research I conducted with Dr. Hadfield was amongst older ladies. Thanks to the generous support of Penn’s summer funding, I was able to pursue both meaningful, unpaid opportunities and contribute to work that reflects my academic and professional interests.
At Body Connect Physical Therapy, I engaged in hands-on, in-person work with Dr. Nwabuebo, observing her clinical practice and learning directly from her approach to trauma-informed, patient-centered care. Her integration of pelvic health, body image, and the lived experience of movement offered a powerful model for how physical therapy can address not just injuries, but the broader physical and emotional context of each patient. This in-person experience gave me a deeper appreciation for the everyday practice of compassionate, equity- focused care.
Alongside this clinical work, I collaborated with Dr. Hadfield on a qualitative research project focused on adolescent athletes in the U.S., Spain, and Italy. I conducted structured interviews with participants to explore their experiences with exercise, self-perception, menstrual health, and body image. A common insight from these conversations was that menstruation often posed a significant barrier to regular and consistent physical activity, affecting motivation, comfort, and confidence. I found this interesting that this theme of menstruation barriers persisted across both age groups and projects I was involved with this summer.
My role involved analyzing participant narratives, identifying key themes, and organizing findings across cultural contexts. This work helped illuminate how different environments shape the way young women experience movement and their bodies. It also emphasized the importance of culturally aware, gender- informed care and programming in athletic spaces.
These experiences allowed me to grow as both a researcher and a future health practitioner. Conducting interviews in Spanish strengthened my language skills and cross-cultural communication. Working closely with both a clinician and a researcher helped me understand how evidence-based practice and lived experience can come together to inform more inclusive, responsive care models.
Importantly, this opportunity would not have been possible without financial support. Because the project was unpaid, Penn’s summer funding allowed me to afford housing, transportation, and living expenses while engaging fully in the experience. I am deeply grateful to the donors who made this opportunity possible.
Looking ahead, I am excited to continue supporting this research as we prepare for publication. This summer affirmed my interest in menstrual equity, musculoskeletal health, and the importance of integrating research and clinical care. I plan to carry forward the lessons I learned at Body Connect into future work in physical therapy, public health, and health justice.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2025 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here
