Meeting the Moment: Student Research Conference Explores AI in Healthcare

Ramya Palacholla, MD, DrPH, is an internal medicine physician and Director of Digital science at Evinova, a subsidiary of AstraZeneca, and gave the keynote address at the conference. She specializes in innovative technologies, developing digital solutions for major healthcare systems. With decades of experience developing and implementing AI technology, she spoke candidly about both the possibilities and limitations of AI.

“The biggest misconception we have is that technology is about new ideas and innovations, but it’s really about solving problems,” Dr. Palacholla said. “AI solutions in healthcare should not be about replacing the clinician but building a tool that allows clinicians to embrace and adopt the solution. The most successful AI solutions I’ve seen always have human interaction.”

After a thought-provoking morning, students presented their own scholarly work. They filled the Boston campus with posters and presentations showcasing their research and scientific endeavors, such as maternal mental health, understanding the toxic effect of grapes on dogs, and using AI to discover new therapeutics.

While many students pursue research as part of their required academic coursework, many others choose to join faculty research projects to advance their skills and reap the benefits of faculty mentorship. The Center for Research and Discovery connects students and faculty with similar research interests and provides funding opportunities for select projects.

“My advisor and I were looking at a database with national emergency room data, and we realized there aren’t many publications about chemotherapy-induced anemia, which often occurs for people with cancer,” said Mufaddal Mahuvawala, PhD ’27, MS. “We looked more closely at the demographics of this disease, its burden on patients, and how it reduces their quality of life.”

Mahuvawala and his faculty mentor, Dr. Irene Murimi-Worstell, launched a research project on this topic. It was one of 14 projects that received funding from the Center through its annual Mini Grant program. The funds are awarded every fall after an application process. Mahuvawala used the funding to purchase two sets of data to better understand the patient experience.

“Without the funds from the Mini Grant, I would not have been able to do this analysis,” he said.

Dr. Griffin said interest in the program grows every year, and the Center is dedicated to supporting as many student research projects as possible.

“With the monumental support of their faculty research mentors and the Office of the Provost, our students are acquiring the necessary skills to lead,” Dr. Griffin said. “The success of this conference is due to their pursuit of research excellence. By investing in their exploration, we support and encourage a better future for all of us.”

The Mini Grant program is one way student-led, faculty-mentored research projects can receive funding from the Center. The Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF) also immerses undergraduate students in hands-on research experiences.

As a premedical health studies student with a research background in microbiology, Masooma Amini, BS ’25, was surprised when she was paired with Dr. Francis Melaragni, a pharmaceutical business professor, for SURF. Together, they pursued a comparative analysis of how different countries managed opioid crises.

“It was a bit out of my comfort zone, but it felt similar to antibiotic research I had done since both involved over-prescription,” Amini said. “As a future healthcare provider, this was a great way to become more educated about opioids. I can apply this information with my future patients.”

The conference was an opportunity for students to showcase their work and formally present it to faculty evaluators, answer questions, and receive constructive feedback on their work. After the conference, faculty evaluators selected the best presentations to receive awards.

Visit this photo album to see more moments from the conference.