UAB MRS Leadership

Mohammad is a fourth-year medical student at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. He currently serves as the MRS President and past Seminar Chair. Mohammad completed his undergraduate studies at the University of South Alabama, majoring in Biomedical Sciences and minoring in English. His research interests include neurosurgery and neuro-oncology, completing a dedicated year focused on oncolytic virotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme and CRISPR models for treatment-resistant brain tumors. In his free time, Mohammad is training for a marathon, enjoys playing basketball, and spends time freshwater fishing in local rivers.

Email: mahamo@uab.edu 

Ishika is an MS4 at UAB, serving as the MRS Assistant Director. She graduated from UAB with a degree in Neuroscience. Her research interests center on health disparities and structural barriers to care. She is currently conducting qualitative research examining barriers to routine gout care following emergency department visits, with a focus on identifying factors that prevent patients from accessing consistent outpatient management. Her research experience also includes studying the impact of diet on hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) severity, as well as examining health disparities and structural barriers affecting patients with HS and opioid use disorder. Her work reflects a broader interest in understanding how systemic and social factors shape access to care, an interest she hopes to carry forward as she pursues a career in internal medicine. Outside of medicine, Ishika enjoys baking, strength training and Pilates, tending to her houseplants, and reading.

Email: ipatel@uab.edu 

Charis is a dual-degree MD/MSPH MS4 (doing both degrees concurrently!). She went to Auburn for undergrad, is applying internal medicine, and is the MRS faculty outreach chair. Her research experiences vary from infectious disease to ophthalmology to otolaryngology, but her main research interest is clinical mycology. Outside of medicine, she collects antique books and medical antiques, plays in a pickleball league, travels, and bakes sourdough.

Email: charish@uab.edu 

Ethan is a third-year medical student who went to UAB for undergrad. He is currently the Student Engagement Chair of MRS! His primary research interests revolve around Urology, Oncology, and Epidemiology. His experiences center around outcomes, computational, and public health work. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing board games, SCUBA diving, and trying his best to cook edible food.

Email: ethanwan@uab.edu 

Alyssa is a second-year medical student at UAB Heersink School of Medicine, serving as the MRS Communications Chair. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, she graduated from Emory University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Health. Her research experience has focused on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including investigating mechanisms of bacterial cytotoxicity and the role of infection-induced factors in secondary cellular injury. Her current research interests include understanding the mechanisms underlying lung injury and translating these findings to improve outcomes in critically ill patients. Outside of medicine, Alyssa enjoys spending time with family, watching sports, and playing with her dog, Louie.

Email: amchrist@uab.edu 

Leanne is a fourth-year medical student in the MD/MPH program at UAB Heersink School of Medicine and is expected to graduate in 2027. She is from Dothan, Alabama, and completed her undergraduate education at Emory University, where she double majored in Neuroscience and Music. Her plastic surgery research reflects the breadth of her interests, spanning groin reconstruction, gender health, hand therapy following flexor tendon repair, high-pressure injection injuries, robotic surgery curricula, and social determinants of health in surgical care. Outside the hospital, Leanne can be found baking, skiing, playing soccer or pickleball, exploring new restaurants and coffee shops around town, or spending time with her cat, Miso.

Email: leannej@uab.edu 

Anantha is a second-year medical student and is the MRS liaison for neurology. She is from Birmingham, AL and completed her education at UAB with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a Master of Public Health. Her primary research interest is assessing caregiver interventions for stroke symptom management. Outside of school, she enjoys painting, hiking, going to concerts, and hanging out with her dog Leo.

Email: akorra18@uab.edu 

Laci Turner is an MS4 at UAB Heersink School of Medicine and is applying into dermatology this year. She earned her BS in Biomedical Sciences from UAB. Her research interests include dermatologic health disparities, skin of color, alopecia, inflammatory skin disease, and healthcare access, and she has especially enjoyed working on projects focused on improving representation and expanding dermatologic education within the community. Outside of medicine, she loves running, stress-baking cookies and banana bread, searching for the perfect chai latte, and taking long walks with her mini Goldendoodle, Willow!

Email: lacimt@uab.edu 

Connor is an MS3 at UAB, serving as an MRS Liaison. He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Biomedical Sciences. His research experiences have spanned various areas of dermatology, with a focus on melanoma and other forms of skin cancer, including work related to prognosis, surveillance, emerging therapies, and prevention. He has also been involved in research examining quality of life in patients with rare dermatologic diseases and the representation of skin of color in medical and research literature. Outside of medicine, Connor is a Tex-Mex connoisseur and enjoys health and fitness, playing piano, and scuba diving.

Email: sisk@uab.edu 

Shafkat is a second-year medical student at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, where he is a Health Equity Scholar and participates in the Recognition of Distinction in Global Health Program. Originally from Bangladesh and a long-time resident of Montgomery, Alabama, he majored in Public Health and Natural Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. Before pursuing medicine, Shafkat began his career in global health research and policy consulting, contributing to international initiatives in maternal, reproductive, newborn, child, and adolescent health, health systems governance, and policy. His work included supporting global commissions and policy frameworks in collaboration with international organizations, policymakers, clinicians, and researchers, with a focus on how health systems, governance, and policy shape access to care and population health outcomes across local and global settings. His current research at UAB examines systemic comorbidities and healthcare utilization across patient populations, immunology in chronic inflammatory disease, and socioeconomic disparities influencing access to specialty and primary care. Shafkat is particularly interested in multidisciplinary research that connects clinical medicine with public health and policy to understand how biological, socioeconomic, and health-system factors shape patient outcomes and inform more equitable and accessible care. Outside of class, he enjoys writing, traveling, following sports, and spending time with family and friends.

Email: smeraj12@uab.edu