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Fellow Presentations

The heart of the conference

Where fellows present what they've built - the projects, the research, and the community partnerships that define action in medicine.

2026–27 National Conference

Year 4 · Releases January 18, 2027

Twenty-one presentations from nineteen fellows, in five sections. Fellows record their own presentations, and they release together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Aequitas Health is a national medical honor society and 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose fellows are selected for community health work serving those in need. It is a 2023 recipient of the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund (McNulty Foundation and Aspen Institute).

Inside the Student-Run Free Clinic 6 talks

Fellow Presentation
Enhancing Dermatologic Care for Uninsured Patients Through Primary Care Education

A dermatologist-led Lunch and Learn series trains primary care providers at a free clinic serving uninsured patients, using real patient cases to guide diagnosis and management of common skin conditions. Recommendations are aligned with topical medications stocked in the clinic's in-house pharmacy, so the guidance can be applied immediately at no cost to patients. Formal outcomes are pending, and the materials are planned as a lasting resource library.

Maya Andrade · Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
with Jules Harper, Carol Stegura and Marta Hampton, MD
Open this presentation
Fellow Presentation
Program Evaluation of the Pre-Clinic Assessment's Impact on Patients' Social Determinants of Health

Preliminary data from a single-site program evaluation show a 0% no-show rate among new patients who completed a pre-clinic assessment at the DAWN clinic, compared with 33% among those who did not, a statistically significant difference. The assessment is studied as a tool to help the care coordination team address barriers facing uninsured patients, and evaluation of resource utilization continues.

Grace Hanson · University of Colorado School of Medicine
with Brian Wolfe
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Fellow Presentation
Expanding Access to Family Planning and Fertility Resources for Uninsured Patients

More than 40% of U.S. pregnancies are unintended, and about 1 in 6 adults experience infertility during their lifetime. In response, a student-led free clinic is expanding reproductive health resources, integrating pregnancy tests and emergency contraception through its food pantry. Providers plan to offer over-the-counter oral contraceptives as appropriate and distribute fertility kits with ovulation predictor kits and basal body temperature thermometers, paired with evidence-based educational materials.

Brianna Lau · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
with Ani Oganesyan, Joanna Lee, Kristine Burgess, PA-C and Melissa Chen, MD
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Fellow Presentation
Development and Operationalization of a Culturally Tailored Community Breast Health Outreach Model Within a Student-Run Free Clinic

Two community breast health events at a student-run free clinic engaged 67 participants, 30 of whom newly registered at the clinic, with more than 30 referred to local breast health services. The culturally tailored model pairs community partnerships, volunteer training, and language-access services with structured referral pathways. Preliminary evaluation, limited by low survey completion, shows higher self-rated knowledge scores after each event.

Brianna Lau · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
with Crystal Banh, Morgan Perry, Brandon Pum, Abigail Rousseau, Khaliun Dashdeleg, Meredith Fils, Jeffrey Damaschke and Melissa Chen, MD
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Fellow Presentation
The Benefits of POC Lab Tests for a Student-Run Free Clinic

Point-of-care testing is compared with send-out testing at a student-run free clinic: each hemoglobin A1C cartridge costs $9.60, against $81.68 when the test is billed to an uninsured patient, and EKG supplies run under $1 per test after the grant-funded equipment purchase. Fingerstick training takes about 1 hour rather than roughly 10 hours for venipuncture, and results arrive during the visit so clinicians can discuss them and begin treatment immediately.

Safoora Murad · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
with Jessica Hrnciar, MD, Melissa Chen, MD and Meredith Fills, PA-C
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Fellow Presentation
Identifying and Addressing Food Insecurity and Barriers to Nutritious Food Access in a Student-Run Free Clinic

Screening for food insecurity at a student-run free clinic pairs a survey adapted from the validated USDA Food Security Survey with immediate resource delivery: information about a food pantry at the same site and free recipes built around ingredients commonly available through food pantries. The initiative is ongoing, with 100 participants surveyed to date and formal analysis still ahead.

Elena Wilson · Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
with Caitlyn Murphy, Daniel Newlands, Michael North and Sean Haley
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Community Outreach Beyond Clinic Walls 4 talks

Fellow Presentation
Breaking the Cycle: A School-Based Period Poverty Intervention

Fifty-five middle and high school students at two under-resourced schools took part in two sessions covering menstrual health, symptom management, and period poverty, with hands-on activities including assembling period packs. Surveys show improved knowledge, including significant gains in defining period poverty and appropriate tampon use. Students also report fewer missed school days due to lack of products and menstrual symptoms, though that change is not statistically significant in this small sample.

Emily Downs · Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
with Sierra Stumpff
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Fellow Presentation
Midwest Street Medicine Rapid City: Meeting People Where They Are

Street medicine outreach brings integrated medical, behavioral, and social care to people experiencing homelessness in Rapid City, where a January 2026 count reported 343 people without housing. Weekly outreach is paired with a Friday evening community meal and includes peer support, social work, addiction care, and harm reduction. The chapter is one of several operating across South Dakota.

Emily Eisenbraun · University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
with Phebie Rossi, M4, Dillon Vanetti, M4 and Jennifer Hasvold, MD
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Fellow Presentation
Surviving the Holidays with Diabetes: a Rural Community Education Event

Partnering with a rural hospital, this community education event drew about 50 attendees, 35 of whom joined a presentation on diabetes management, lower-sugar and lower-carbohydrate food substitutions, and lifestyle strategies for blood glucose control. Ten booths offered dental, vision, nutrition, pharmacy, and glucose monitoring resources alongside screening stations. Verbal feedback was largely positive, and the materials remain with the hospital for potential future use.

Rebecca Hofer · University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
with Abbey Rieber and Nanci VanPeursem, MD
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Fellow Presentation
Beyond the Bandage: Building a Sustainable Framework for Community-Based Wound Care

Chronic wounds fall disproportionately on people experiencing homelessness, yet student-led street medicine programs often lack standardized ways to assess them. A needs assessment under development pairs patient-reported concerns with clinician documentation of wound characteristics, treatments provided, and referral needs. Findings are intended to inform a future wound care framework spanning patient education, supply recommendations, and referral pathways into longitudinal care.

Jenny Lee · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
with Jonathan Lo
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Rights, Access, and Navigation 3 talks

Fellow Presentation
The Loudest Silent Team Member: Improving Interactions with Interpreters

Based on training as a qualified Spanish interpreter and undergraduate linguistics studies, this talk examines how clinicians can work more effectively with interpreters. It covers best practices, the ethics and techniques interpreters are trained in, and cultural and linguistic issues in interpretation, aiming at clearer connection with patients who have limited English proficiency and stronger language equity in medicine.

Kyle Brent Labak · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
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Fellow Presentation
Assessing spatial inequities in access to healthcare via multiple transport modes using the enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method

Provider directories list services in a region but say nothing about who can reach them. This project built a Python program that measures access by driving and public transit travel time, using the enhanced two-step floating catchment area method to account for providers per capita and proximity. Origin points can be set at census tract, block group, or ZIP code level, and outputs include accessibility scores and choropleth maps.

Rikhil Makwana · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
with Namhee Kim, PhD and Amanda M. Simanek, PhD, MPH
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Fellow Presentation
Developing a Multilingual Patient Rights Resource for Individuals Hospitalized While in Immigration Custody

Patients hospitalized while in immigration custody often face unique barriers to understanding their rights, and few standardized educational resources exist for this setting. This project is developing a multilingual, plain-language resource covering informed consent, interpreter services, privacy and confidentiality, and participation in medical decisions, created with physicians, medical students, legal experts, and community stakeholders. A planned second phase will evaluate feasibility, comprehensibility, and acceptability through patient and clinician feedback.

Claire Pishko · University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson
with Krishna Babaria, Swathi Ramkumar and Edgar Melendrez
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Teaching Health Equity 4 talks

Fellow Presentation
Reflections on an in-person Health Equity Journal Club for incoming Medical Students

Normally hosted online by a student and faculty pair, the journal club met in person for incoming medical students, centered on an article about differing research funding for cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease. The discussion examined how racial bias affects systematic funding for sickle cell disease, and the in-person format supported open discussion with consistent participation while introducing students to a forum they can later lead.

Karan Gowda · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
with Melissa Chen, MD
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Fellow Presentation
Cultivating Epistemic Disobedience in Medical Training Through Alternative Epistemologies, Medical Systems, Humanities, and Poetry

Western medical training rarely engages alternative systems of knowing, and this project treats that as a question of whose knowledge counts. A curriculum in development for underserved high school students covers Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Ubuntu, Curanderismo, Indigenous traditions, and the humanities; a two-hour pilot session reached 40 predominantly BIPOC students. A parallel strand proposes seminars, journal clubs, and a possible CME-eligible podcast for medical audiences.

Krishi Korrapati · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
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Fellow Presentation
From Incarceration to Care: Transforming Medical Education about a Marginalized Patient Population

A two-hour seminar, now part of the required fourth-year curriculum, treats mass incarceration as a structural determinant of health, covering its history, healthcare and the carceral system, and lived experience from a formerly incarcerated speaker. Of 164 participants, 88% agreed or strongly agreed that it increased their knowledge and 87% that it filled a gap in their medical education. Responses suggest lived experience may build structural competency.

Madelyn Moulton · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
with Namhee Kim, PhD, Monideepa Becerra, DrPH and Melissa Chen, MD
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Fellow Presentation
Are We Teaching What Teens Need? A Needs Assessment of Adolescent Health Training Amongst Medical Students

With no standard guidelines for sexual health education across U.S. medical schools, students reach adolescent care with differing levels of comfort and preparedness. A pre-event survey mapped baseline comfort with sexual health, STIs, and pregnancy, and those responses shaped an educational session with mock patient cases. A follow-up survey is planned to reassess confidence, and data collection is still underway.

Sierra Nguyen · University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
with Lacey Person, MSIII and Sinduja Lakkunarajah, MD
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Equity in the Profession 4 talks

Fellow Presentation
Evaluating Authorship Conversations, Transparency, and Perceived Fairness in Medical Student Research: A Survey Study

In residency applications, authorship carries weight, yet placement is not always a transparent process. A cross-sectional survey of graduating fourth-year students at one institution found 77% had an authorship conversation on at least one project and 23% none; of the 23%, 10% considered their placement unfair. Male students were significantly more likely to report disagreement with placement, and the work proposes a guideline for transparent authorship discussions.

Grace Hanson · University of Colorado School of Medicine
with Ekshika Patel, Elizabeth Cho, Yosef Smadi, Wendy Christensen and Timothy Bernard
Open this presentation
Fellow Presentation
Empowering Leaders through Education, Vision, Achievement, Training, and Engagement

In multiple STEMM programs for Black students in Cook County, many students knew of three healthcare-related career options: doctor, nurse, and coder. This initiative is building a coalition of Black graduate students across nursing, medicine, physician assistant studies, podiatry, research, pathology, pharmacy, and psychology to offer panels and hands-on workshops with local schools and community organizations. A survey after each session is planned to shape its direction.

Hope Horn · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Open this presentation
Fellow Presentation
Who Gets to Be Competitive? Equity in Medical Student Research Opportunities and Residency Match Preparation

Medical students face increasing pressure to demonstrate research productivity for residency, yet mentorship and projects may not be equally accessible. In an institutional survey, 75% of 148 respondents reported research had a positive impact on Match success and roughly 10% a negative one, while about one in five were dissatisfied with career advising. Analysis is ongoing, and the work argues for equitable access to scholarly opportunities rather than simply more research.

Emma Shelby · University of Colorado School of Medicine
with Cindy Li (co-first author), Jun Bai Park Chang, Giovanni Tin, Annika Witt, Steven Summers, Ammar Campwala, Aaron Dye, Jake Rehring, Wendy Christensen, Rachael Tan and Tai Lockspeiser (senior author). Order among the remaining authors is not finalized.
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Fellow Presentation
From Curriculum to Community: Advancing Health Equity Through Student Advocacy at LCOM

The work runs on two parallel tracks. The first goes through a campus social justice coalition and four co-led initiatives: helping integrate social determinants of health into the preclinical curriculum, examining food-access barriers in Vermont, supporting translation for African immigrant families, and adapting restorative justice into Community Circles, a model later taught to faculty and students at numerous institutions via the 2025 NEGEA/NEGSA/NEOR conference. The second is the UNICEF Vermont Chapter, which she founded and leads as the first in the state, hosting educational sessions and mobilizing students to contact elected officials.

Leena Ziane · The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
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"Action, not just achievement, is the highest honor in medicine."
— Aequitas Health

2025–26 National Conference

Year 3

Aequitas Health is a national medical honor society and 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose fellows are selected for community health work serving those in need. It is a 2023 recipient of the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund (McNulty Foundation and Aspen Institute).

Fellow Presentation

Native American Health Initiatives: Tribal Grant Funding for Walking Trails and Telehealth Access

Brandon Schonour, an enrolled citizen of the Southeastern Mvskoke (Creek) Nation, partnered with his Tribal Council to secure more than $40,000 in grant funding for community health improvements - including walking trails now used daily by families and a telehealth building giving elders regular access to healthcare without leaving home.

Brandon Schonour · Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama
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Fellow Presentation

Mini Medical School: Parent Engagement and Take-Home Curriculum

Building on four years of Mini Medical School programming introducing underserved youth to science and medicine, this expanded curriculum includes bilingual parent sheets, hands-on experiment materials, and activities like splinting and learning about vaccines - providing families with accessible science materials they would not otherwise have.

Kayla Talebi · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Open this presentation
Fellow Presentation

ICC Skin Equity Initiative and Bilingual Podcast Series

A student-led initiative at the Interprofessional Community Clinic addressing dermatological health disparities in the Latine community through a bilingual educational podcast series. Developed with Mano a Mano and the North Chicago Think Tank, adapted into a home-accessible format to reach community members facing barriers to leaving their homes.

Angelica Arzuaga · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Open this presentation
Fellow Presentation

Menstrual Equity at Nuvance Health

An implementation-ready initiative addressing period poverty through free menstrual product dispensers in visitor and patient-facing bathrooms across the Nuvance Health system. The project secured institutional permission for system-wide installation, demonstrating how medical students can drive meaningful policy change within health systems.

Javier Rincon · The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
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"This conference gave me the courage to present my research for the first time - and the feedback made it publishable."
— Aequitas Health Fellow, 2024 National Conference

2024–25 National Conference

Year 2

Aequitas Health is a national medical honor society and 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose fellows are selected for community health work serving those in need. It is a 2023 recipient of the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund (McNulty Foundation and Aspen Institute).

Fellow Presentation

FutureCare Directions: Empowering Patient Choices at Anderson Free Clinic

This project addresses a critical gap in advanced care planning for underserved populations, implementing a patient-centered approach at a free clinic with a user-friendly ACP handout, staff training, and a standardized documentation system - ensuring patients' healthcare wishes are heard and respected.

Megan McDonald · Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
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Fellow Presentation

The Life Histories Project

Building on a successful model from Harvard Medical School, this initiative collects and elevates stories from patients facing healthcare access gaps related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status. By sharing these narratives with care teams, the project redirects attention to patients' lived experiences and values in treatment planning.

Avery Ofoje · Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
Open this presentation
Chapter Presentation

Impact of Medicaid Expansion and Work Requirements in South Dakota

This analysis examines how recent policy changes affect healthcare access in South Dakota, particularly for Native American communities and rural populations - evaluating Medicaid enrollment trends from 2020–2023, the effects of COVID-19 policy changes, the state's 2023 expansion, and newly implemented work requirements.

University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine Chapter
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2023–24 National Conference

Inaugural Conference

Aequitas Health is a national medical honor society and 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose fellows are selected for community health work serving those in need. It is a 2023 recipient of the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund (McNulty Foundation and Aspen Institute).

Fellow Presentation

Fight for Sight: A Community Eye Care Clinic & Current Project

Taylor DeHart led the Storm Eye Institute's Fight for Sight clinics, providing eye care to underserved communities. An MD-MSCR student studying clinical research with a focus on pediatric cataracts, she combined community eye care with research aimed at improving vision access for populations that need it most.

Taylor DeHart · Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
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Distinguished Speakers

Leaders across medicine, industry & policy

Each year, distinguished speakers from academic medicine, venture capital, health system leadership, and the federal health system join our fellows for the National Conference.

Diverse Pathways Towards Health Equity

Elizabeth Mack, MD, MS - Vice President at Vizient, working in patient safety and high reliability healthcare. Pediatric critical care physician, AAP spokesperson, and national advocate for children's health. Former Division Director of Pediatric Critical Care and Medical Director for GME Quality and Safety at the Medical University of South Carolina. Liberty Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Vizient

Health Equity

Wendy Nembhard, PhD, MPH, FACE - Director of the Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, one of 10 CDC-funded centers in the US. Professor and Chair of Epidemiology at UAMS. Fulbright Senior Scholar. ELAM Fellow. Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Impact Outside of Medicine

Greg Yap, MBA - Partner at Menlo Ventures, investing in life science and healthcare technology. Former CEO and co-founder of two startups; 20 years of senior executive experience including leading a $500 million cancer diagnostics business at Roche. Princeton BS (summa cum laude) in molecular biology, Stanford MBA. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Menlo Ventures

Parenting the Disabled Child in an Inequitable Health Landscape

Eleanor Turner, MA - Director of Operations at Aequitas Health. President and Co-Founder of The Legacy Foundation South Dakota. Published author of two dozen books, LEND parent and family trainee graduate, and committed advocate for special needs families.

Aequitas Health

LGBTQ+ Health Equity: A Roadmap for the Future

José Arturo Bauermeister, MPH, PhD - Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. Chair of the Department of Family and Community Health at Penn Nursing and Director of the Eidos LGBT+ Health Initiative. NIH Council of Councils member committed to addressing health inequities among LGBT youth of color. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.

University of Pennsylvania

A Message to Aequitas Health Fellows

Lisa Fitzpatrick, MD, MPH, MPA - CEO and founder of Grapevine Health, a health literacy and patient engagement organization improving health communication in Black and brown communities. Infectious diseases physician and CDC-trained epidemiologist. Former CMO for DC Medicaid. Harvard Kennedy School MPA. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Grapevine Health

Future Leadership

SreyRam Kuy, MD, MHS - Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Quality and Safety across a network of VA medical centers. First woman appointed Deputy Under Secretary for Community Care at the VA, overseeing a $14.5 billion budget and 7,300 staff. Former CMO for Louisiana Medicaid, where she instituted reforms resulting in a 40% reduction in new opioid prescriptions. Presidential Leadership Scholar. Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Presenters may request content updates or removal by contacting Aequitas Health.

Present your work

Abstract submissions for the 2027 National Conference are closed. Accepted presenters record their own presentation, due December 18, 2026, and all of them release together on Monday, January 18, 2027, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The next call for abstracts opens in summer 2027.

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