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Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)Student AccomplishmentsMSTP Student Named UMB Student of the Year

MSTP Student Named UMB Student of the Year

Iyer

September 2022

Aishwarya Iyer was awarded UMB Student of the Year. Ms. Iyer is a fifth-year MD/PhD student in the Medical Scientist Training Program, on track to earn her PhD in 2024 and her medical degree in 2026. While excelling academically, carrying a 4.0 graduate school grade-point average (GPA) as a biochemistry PhD candidate, she also finds time to enthusiastically engage with various on-campus organizations and initiatives.

She received numerous honors as an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, including the Meyerhoff and Creighton Memorial scholarships and an NCAA Division I Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete Award. She is currently a trainee of a National Institutes of Health research training program in gastroenterology and hepatology, working under the tutelage of Katia Kontrogianni, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the School of Medicine, for her thesis work.

Ms. Iyer’s extensive research experience in biochemistry and structural biology accumulated throughout her high school, undergraduate, and graduate training has enabled her to build a strong foundation in discovery and translational science, deliver presentations at numerous national and international conferences, and earn co-authorships on research papers published in Science and the Journal of Molecular Biology.

At UMB, she was secretary (2020-21) and president (2021-22) of the University Student Government Association and continues to serve on working groups under the Office of Sustainability. She has worked with University leaders to address student food insecurity, sustainability, COVID-19 issues, and safety concerns, in addition to serving on search committees for UMSOM’s dean and UMB’s provost and executive vice president.

During medical school, Ms. Iyer has volunteered as a CURE Scholars Program mentor, engaging with middle and high school students from West Baltimore in educational activities to cultivate their interest in the STEM and medical fields.