Physician-Scientist
Ohio Wesleyan Student Contributes to Published Nationwide Children's Hospital Research
Name: Andrew Inamdar '27
Hometown: Lewis Center, Ohio, United States
High School: Olentangy Berlin High School
Majors: Microbiology and Pre-Medicine
Minor: Chemistry
OWU Connection Experience: Summer research internship at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) Abigail Wexner Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio
Inamdar worked as an undergraduate research student in the laboratory of Oluyinka Olutoye, M.D., Ph.D., a world-renowned fetal and neonatal surgeon. Inamdar was mentored by Jessica Wright, M.D., a senior research fellow in Olutoye's lab.
Professional Publishing
"This opportunity has led to my first published paper and another paper that is currently under review. [The article appears in the August 2026 edition of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery.]
"Working on the experiments, data analysis, and writing components for these papers was an amazing learning experience. My mentors were extremely helpful and willing to teach and support me, but also pushed me to be independent."
My Nationwide Children's Work
"I worked on two research projects:
"1) Literature review for a study on the value of additional postnatal echocardiograms [ultrasound heart scans] in patients with a congenital duodenal obstruction [babies born with small intestine blockages]. Our findings suggest a postnatal echo is not necessary for patients who had no cardiac anomalies on prenatal echo. This means patients can receive life-saving surgery without the delay of a second echo scan and interpretation, which could improve patient outcomes. The research has resulted in a published paper.
"2) A pilot study for a novel surgical mouse model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia [a life-threatening defect affecting the muscle that separates a baby's chest from the abdomen]. This study aimed to develop a surgical model of CDH to overcome the confounding effects of the current rodent model of this disease. This was my main project for the summer. … I created a research poster summarizing this work/our findings, which I presented at NCH, OWU, and at the Annual Medical Education Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in April, 2026. I earned the award for undergraduate research poster at the AMEC conference."
This internship solidified my desire to have a career that combines clinical practice with research.
Why This Opportunity?
"This internship helped me to explore clinical research and to experience what a full-time research position is like. I had the opportunity to work in the lab and to shadow a variety of medical specialties at NCH. Participating in this internship enabled me to learn several new skills and research methods that will help me to be successful after OWU. This internship solidified my desire to have a career that combines clinical practice with research."
My Favorite Moments
"My two favorite moments were: 1) Assisting with mouse surgeries. Seeing the operations on fetal mice that were no larger than a jellybean was incredible and gave me a great appreciation for the surgeons on our team. 2) Shadowing my PI and meeting a patient with the condition we were studying in the lab. This was a full-circle moment that translated our work in the lab to the real patients our work will benefit. It truly put into perspective the importance of clinical research, even when the path to new discoveries is long and challenging."
Lessons Learned
"This internship helped me to appreciate the teamwork aspect of research. Working one-to-one with only myself and a professor on research at OWU is much different than working with a larger team. This opportunity showed me the value of having a team with diverse skillsets that helps achieve common goals. The combination of clinical shadowing and laboratory research solidified my physician-scientist career aspirations and showed me the impact of research in a clinical setting."
An OWU Mentor
"I have been working on an independent research project with Dr. Suria. My work with her during my independent study and in the classroom helped prepare me for this internship by providing knowledge and skills that made me successful." [Andrea Suria, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Biological Sciences. Her research examines how beneficial bacterial symbionts protect their host animals from infection. Her laboratory uses genetic mutations, in vitro bioassays, and bioinformatic tools to conduct the research.]
My Campus Involvements
Inamdar works as an intern for the Chief Diversity Officer and as a resident assistant (RA), and he serves on the Honors Student Board, as treasurer of the Genetics Club, and as president of the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS).
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
"I chose to attend OWU because of the opportunities to get involved with research early in my college career and for the close relationships between students and faculty. The supportive environment at OWU from peers and professors has made me feel at home and helped me to grow as a student."
My Plans After Graduation
"I hope to have a career as a physician-scientist. I will be applying to M.D.-Ph.D. programs after graduation. My experiences at OWU have helped me to develop skills like leadership, critical thinking, and independence."