The University of Connecticut School of Medicine celebrated a major achievement this fall as eight of its medical students advanced to the 2025 American Medical Association (AMA) Research Challenge, the largest national multi-specialty research event for medical students, residents, fellows and international medical graduates.
The UConn students selected represented UConn on a stage shared by more than 1,400 participants across 174 medical schools. The students presented research on topics ranging from orthopedic surgery to global health and medical education, according to UConn Today.
Over 1,400 abstracts from six main categories of basic science, clinical and translational research, clinical vignettes (patient case descriptions used for teaching and research), health systems science, medical education, public health and health policy were submitted to the challenge this year. Only a fraction of submissions were selected for presentation, according to UConn Today.
Dr. Melissa Held, senior associate dean of Medical Student Education at UConn School of Medicine, emphasized the importance of the event and the students’ accomplishments.
“I am incredibly proud of our UConn medical students for their outstanding contributions to the 2025 AMA Research Challenge,” Held said to UConn Today. “Their dedication to advancing medical knowledge, their innovative research, and their commitment to improving patient care exemplify the excellence we strive for at the UConn School of Medicine. Their work not only reflects their individual brilliance but also elevates the reputation of our institution on the national stage.”
Mehreen Pasha, 25, of Cheshire, was selected to present her work at the AMA Research Challenge. She shared research revealing sex-based differences in rotator cuff repair outcomes.
Pasha is currently completing a research fellowship at Rush University in Chicago between her third and fourth years of medical school. She presented her work on sex-based differences in postoperative outcomes following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, a study that analyzed over 100,000 patient cases. Her team found that women had higher rates of emergency department visits within two weeks and were more likely to undergo shoulder replacement within two years, while men had higher short-term infection rates.
Pasha described feeling “deeply honored” to represent UConn, especially as a double Husky who completed both her undergraduate and medical training at the university. Pasha stated it felt “awesome to represent the research we do here,” crediting the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and her mentors, Dr. Kathy Coyner and Ronak Mahatme (Class of 2025), for shaping her path in orthopedics. Pasha shared that Coyner, her first year mentor, has had a major influence on her career goals; she now helps run Coyner’s programs Inspiring Women in Engineering and Medicine and I Look Like a Surgeon Too.
She also highlighted Mahatme’s role in guiding her through the study.
“I’m a firm believer in upperclassmen uplifting their underclassmen so we can increase representation of women, South Asians and other underrepresented groups in competitive fields like orthopedic surgery,” Pasha said.
Through her diverse research experiences, from biomechanics work at UConn to large database studies and clinical trials during her Scholarly Year at Rush, Pasha said she has developed both her identity as a researcher and her long-term aspirations in orthopedics, hoping to mentor future UConn students along the way. She said competing nationally reinforced the importance of preparation, collaboration, and confidence, while her clinical rotations taught her the value of what Coyner calls “work-life integration,” being fully present with whatever matters most in the moment.
Pasha said she believes opportunities like the AMA Challenge elevate student voices and expand visibility for institutional research. Her advice for future participants is simple: “Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and reach out to potential mentors – the worst that can happen is they say no.”
“I hope to bring back everything I’ve learned to mentor underclassmen passionate about ortho like I am,” Pasha said.