Thanushri Srikantha, a participant in the UAB Department of Surgery Short-Term Research Experiences Advancing Medical Students (STREAMS) program, has earned national recognition for her summer research under the mentorship of Demario Overstreet, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery. Her project has been selected for a Quickshot Presentation at the 21st Annual Academic Surgical Congress (ASC), one of the premiere meetings for academic surgeons and trainees across the country.
During the summer, Srikantha contributed to two major projects: “Phenotyping Pain in Ulcerative Colitis (NIDDK-focused project)” and “ERASED study – Psychosocial Factors in Chronic Low Back Pain.” She gained hands-on experience in quantitative sensory testing (QST) relevant to digestive diseases, conducted patient interactions, and collected clinical and demographic data. For her second study, using data from 220 participants, Srikantha categorized individuals into healthy controls, low-impact pain, and high-impact pain groups, then performed statistical analyses in SPSS. Her findings highlighted that patients with high-impact chronic low back pain exhibit significantly higher depression, perceived injustice, emotional dysregulation, maladaptive coping behaviors, and lower social support, patterns that may help identify patients at risk for poor surgical recovery. Together, these projects strengthened her understanding of biopsychosocial frameworks in chronic disease and demonstrated how early screening and tailored interventions can improve patient outcomes.
Her research poster, which earlier received first place at the UAB Summer Research Expo, reflects the scientific rigor of her work through the STREAMS program. Her selection for ASC underscores the growing visibility of UAB’s efforts to foster early engagement in surgical research among medical students.
Srikantha, now a second-year medical student at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, plans to continue working in Overstreet’s laboratory for the remainder of medical school and hopes to pursue future work in health equity through research, teaching, or community service.
“Watching Srikantha grow as a researcher this summer has been inspiring,” said Overstreet. “Her dedication and drive transformed a complex, high-impact idea into an outstanding achievement.”
Through STREAMS, Srikantha joined a multidisciplinary research team focused on advancing outcomes in surgical care while gaining valuable exposure to clinical research methodology, data analysis, and academic presentation.
QUOTE “Srikantha’s success proves how the STREAMS program prepares the next generation of surgeon-scientists for meaningful contributions to our field,” Overstreet said.
About the STREAMS Program
The STREAMS program in the UAB Department of Surgery offers mentored summer research experiences designed to encourage medical students to explore careers in academic surgery. STREAMS supports eight students each year through a competitive selection process. Students engage in 8–12 weeks of full-time research across basic science, translational, clinical, outcomes, and education fields under the guidance of experienced surgeons and research faculty.