Sophomore medical students at Quinnipiac University, Emma Ratnaparkhi and Ishani Rao, became the first Quinnipiac students to receive an award for Medical Student Research Excellence at the Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians Scientific Symposium held on Oct. 29-30.
As members of Quinnipiac’s Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine and part of the class of 2028, Ratnaparkhi and Rao were recognized for their research as medical students at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington, Connecticut.
Ratnaparkhi and Roe were recognized for their project, “Endometriosis and Time to Fertility Treatment: The Moderating Role of Oral Contraceptive Use.”
Ratnaparkhi and Rao expressed their appreciation for their mentors, Richard Feinn, a professor of medical sciences, and Jerrica Breindel, an associate professor of medical sciences at Quinnipiac, who they believe helped them get where they are today.
“We are really grateful for the opportunity to learn more about women’s health and family medicine, present our research and most importantly, learn from physicians and fellow students,” Ratnaparkhi said.
The award honors outstanding and meaningful research contributions by medical students all around Connecticut at the Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians (CTAFP) conference.
Their project explores important aspects of reproductive health for women. It examines how endometriosis can affect the timing of when women seek fertility treatment and the potential role oral contraceptives play in that process.
“Our project focused on how endometriosis can affect the time it takes for women to seek fertility treatment, and how this relationship can be moderated by birth control pills,” Ratnaparkhi said. “At the conference, we were able to meet and talk to physicians who treat patients with endometriosis and gain insight into the complexities of their diagnosis and treatment plans.”
Ratnaparkhi mentioned her passion for women’s health and explained the reason why she chose to work in the medical field.
“We are both passionate about women’s health and are grateful to be at a medical school with mentors that support our academic interests,” she said.
This achievement highlights the Quinnipiac School of Medicine’s accomplishments in preparing their students to be skilled clinicians and active contributors to research. Other Quinnipiac students and faculty have won research awards in past years as well.
Chemistry and biochemistry students won awards at the eighth Annual ACS-New Haven Student Research Symposium in 2024. Puneet Sidhu received first place, Athena Chirigos received second place and Isabelle Zimber received third place.
On the business side, two students in the School of Business, Brianna Nash and Marcin Mazurek, won the Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Award at a national conference in 2013. They won this award due to their research on cultural values and economic well-being.
Many professors at Quinnipiac have also won impressive awards. Professor Ruby Elkharboutly received a research award from the M&T Bank Center for Women in Business in 2023 and Professor Tuana Rua was granted the inaugural Excellence in Education award from the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce in 2024.
Ratnaparkhi and Rao say they hope to continue connecting with more mentors and physicians in the medical field and continue to learn more about family medicine and women’s health.
