Christopher Orozco presents his research on language-based disparities in wide awake local anesthetic hand surgery during the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Summer Musculoskeletal Research Scholar presentations on Sept. 17, 2025. His faculty mentor is Dr. Lauren Shapiro. (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
SAN FRANCISCO (Sept. 19, 2025) -- On Sept. 17, the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery hosted its Summer Musculoskeletal (MSK) Research Scholar presentations, highlighting innovative projects by 2nd year medical students working under the guidance of faculty mentors.
The evening opened with remarks from Dr. C. Benjamin Ma, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Dr. Coleen Sabatini, Vice Chair of Health Equity and faculty lead on the scholars program, who emphasized the program’s role in cultivating students’ interest in orthopaedic surgery and research. Twelve scholars presented findings on topics ranging from artificial intelligence and advanced imaging to health equity and the patient experience. Highlights included:
-
Arezo Ahmadi — Lost in Translation: How Non-English Language Preference Shapes Hip Fracture Outcomes (Mentor: Dr. Lauren Shapiro)
-
Megha Aepala — Wound Management Practices in Surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (Mentor: Dr. Mohammad Diab)
-
Matthew Allen — Deep Learning MRI Segmentation for Patient-Specific Comparative Repair Mechanics (Mentor: Dr. Stefano Bini)
-
Jessica Abrolat — Financial Burdens Experienced After Distal Radius Fracture – A Mixed-Methods Approach Evaluating the Patient Experience (Mentor: Dr. Lauren Shapiro)
-
Zachary Brumm — Associations Between Vertebral Bone Marrow Lesion Composition, Modic Change Classification, and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients (Mentor: Dr. Aaron Fields)
-
Hailey Johnson — Using a Wearable Wrist Sensor to Characterize Postoperative Response to Opioids in Arthroplasty Patients (Mentor: Dr. Meir Marmor)
-
Victoria KoXi — Accuracy of Preoperative MRI for Prediction of Pedicle Screw Dimensions in Pediatric Posterior Spinal Fusion (Mentor: Dr. Ishaan Swarup)
-
George Nakahara — Disaggregating Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Orthopaedic Surgery Outcomes (Mentor: Dr. Coleen Sabatini)
-
Jillian Neuner — Establishing Normal Values for Cartilaginous Acetabular Index in a North American Pediatric Population to Guide Clinical Diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia (Mentor: Dr. Ishaan Swarup)
-
Christopher Orozco — Language-Based Disparities in Wide Awake Local Anesthetic Hand Surgery (Mentor: Dr. Lauren Shapiro)
-
Anthony Peraza — Impact of ACS Geriatric Trauma Guidelines on Orthopaedic Polyfracture Outcomes in Elderly Patients: A Contemporary Review of NTDB Data (2014–2023) (Mentor: Dr. Meir Marmor)
-
Aniket Pratapneni — The Effect of Chronic Low Back Pain on Whole-Body Gait Dynamics (Mentor: Dr. Jeannie Bailey)
The program concluded with a Q&A session and closing remarks, underscoring the value of early research exposure in shaping careers in orthopaedic surgery.
Aniket Pratapneni presents his research on the effect of chronic low back pain on whole-body gait dynamics during the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Summer Musculoskeletal Research Scholar presentations on Sept. 17, 2025. His faculty mentor is Dr. Jeannie Bailey. Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
“These projects reflect the creativity, intelligence, and compassion of our scholars, as well as the dedication of our faculty mentors who make this program possible,” Dr. Sabatini said. “The students have incredible potential to make contributions to the field of orthopaedic surgery in the future – it is inspiring to hear about the work they accomplished with their mentors in just a couple of months over the summer”.
The Summer MSK Research Scholar Program gives medical students hands-on research experience, mentorship and professional development in orthopaedic surgery, with the goal of inspiring them to careers in orthopaedic surgery and preparing the next generation of clinician-scientists.
Learn more about the UCSF Summer MSK Research Scholar Program.
###
