The son of a Russian mother and a Zimbabwean father, Misha Mutizwa grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. He was designated a Ron Brown Scholar in 2001 following a distinguished high school career. Misha began his undergraduate education at Duke University in 2001, where he became interested in health policy and public health. He graduated magna cum laude from Duke in 2005 with a degree in Public Policy Studies and minors in chemistry and French Studies. At Duke, Misha was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was the only graduating senior in his major to receive his degree with highest distinction.

Misha chose to stay at Duke for medical school, enrolling in the fall of 2005. He was awarded the Duke-National University of Singapore Student Research Fellowship in 2007 and spent the 2007-2008 academic year in Singapore investigating modulators of the Wnt signaling cascade as potential therapeutics for human cancers. In addition to his laboratory research, Misha was able to spend time in clinic at Singapore’s National Skin Centre. There, he developed an interest in vitiligo and other disorders of pigmentation. Upon graduation from the Duke University School of Medicine, Misha intends to complete a residency in dermatology. He maintains an active interest in health policy – specifically, in insurance reform – and plans to pursue Master of Public Health (MPH) degree after completing his residency.