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Shreyo Rao, M.D.

Seldin Scholar, 2021

What stood out about your research experience at UT Southwestern, and how did it shape your career?

I was fortunate to connect with transformative mentors who showed me how to translate my passion for health equity into research that could help advance healthcare for underserved people. That mentorship, particularly from Dr. Ambarish Pandey, made me believe in the work as well as my own capacity to succeed in research, both of which were invaluable to my development. That mentorship relationship also extended into my life post-UTSW and continues to be a guide as I navigate my early career.

How did participating in the Seldin Symposium impact your research path?

I had a unique Seldin experience in that I was able to participate shortly before (and actually during!) the birth of my first child. I almost withdrew, in fact, due to the conference conflicting with my due date, but was amazed to see a cadre of leaders across divisions, many of whom were women, and the organizers of Seldin come to my support and ultimately find a way to accomodate my participation by pre-taping my talk. The experience showed me the strength and inclusivity of the research community at UTSW and made me proud to be a part of that community. It also made me want to play a part in creating opportunities for others who came after me. Beyond that, presenting my work and seeing the support it garnered gave me a sense of pride in my research, and helped me build a sense of confidence in my ability to succeed in this space.

What are your current research interests and goals?

When I initially presented at Seldin I was motivated by a desire to better understand the community-level drivers of health disparities in cardiovascular outcomes in the US. In my current role, I am working to understand the biology of social adversity by studying the relationships between social disadvantage, cardiometabolic disease and aging-related decline in the South Texas population. I recently received institutional support for my work in the form of a K12 mentored career development award and look forward to furthering this work in the coming years, as well as expanding into the implementation science space in order to study approaches to reducing disparities in health in this community. 

What advice would you offer current Internal Medicine trainees about pursuing research?

It is common to feel a pressure to pursue research for the purpose of bolstering applications for the next stage of your career. While I understand the external factors that drive this pressure, I would encourage trainees to look for ways to tie research to the issues or science they find most interesting and compelling, even if this means charting a new path to do work that is engaging. As with anything, we do our best work when we feel passionate about it. This also means finding a mentor willing and able to facilitate your growth, which can be challenging, but is possible if you remain persistent!

Representative Publications

"The experience showed me the strength and inclusivity of the research community at UTSW and made me proud to be a part of that community."

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