Research and medicine are inextricably linked. For students at GW, studying at all levels, there are many avenues and opportunities to participate in high-impact research.
As Mohammed Almarkhan, BS ’23, a second-year medical student at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) says, “Research has changed how I view medicine. I’ve come to see clinical medicine as the translation of knowledge into care, while research is the engine that generates that knowledge.”
Throughout his time at GW, Almarkhan has managed to continuously immerse himself in research. Starting as an undergraduate student studying neuroscience in GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, he joined a research lab and eventually founded a student organization called the Autism Research Club. Most recently, as a member of the Global Health Scholarly Concentration, a four-year extracurricular program for GW MD students offered by the GW SMHS International Medicine Programs (IMP) office, Almarkhan explored his research interests while working in a lab in Spain.
Here, Almarkhan discusses his pursuit to advance our knowledge and understanding of neuroscience and health.
Q: Tell us about your research interests. What inspired you to pursue research?
Almarkhan: My story with research began long before medical school. It started at home, with my younger sister, Larin. She was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Watching my family search for answers during that time shaped the way I think about both medicine and research. I saw firsthand how uncertainty affects families, not just medically, but emotionally and socially. That experience stayed with me and ultimately inspired me to pursue medicine and research together.
Without research, many of the questions families ask, such as the ones my own family once asked, would remain unanswered. Research does not just advance disciplines; it also shapes the future of people.
Q: What are the next steps for your research? Do you have plans to publish or present your findings?
Almarkhan: As an undergraduate at GW, I had the opportunity to work with Gregory L. Wallace, PhD, an associate professor in the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute. Our research focused on the relationship between autism and parkinsonism (an umbrella term for a neurological syndromes characterized by motor symptoms). What drew me in most was that it addressed something often overlooked in autism care; adulthood. So much of autism research centers around early childhood interventions, but autism does not end when someone turns eighteen. I found myself thinking constantly about my sister’s future. What would adulthood look like for her?
That work was deeply meaningful to me. I was fortunate to receive the Luther Rice Fellowship and to present our findings at the International Society for Autism Research conference in Stockholm in 2023. Presenting our research on an international stage helped me understand how collaborative and global scientific inquiry really is. It was also the moment I began to appreciate research not just as an academic exercise, but as something that can tangibly shape the lives of patients and families.
Q: Why did you decide to join the Global Health Scholarly Concentration and how has it enabled your research pursuit?
Almarkhan: Since starting medical school, my research interests have continued to evolve. Through the Global Health Scholarly Concentration and the support of IMP, I had the opportunity to spend two months in the summer working alongside Alfonso Lagares, MD, PhD, a renowned neurosurgeon in Madrid, Spain. During that time, I was involved in research examining outcome measures for patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), particularly those at risk for long-term neurocognitive and neurological complications. What fascinated me was the gap between initial clinical stability and the possibility of subtle long-term deficits. It reinforced for me how critical it is to refine the way we assess and follow patients.
I am also currently collaborating with Fernando Vidal-Vanaclocha, MD, PhD, an adjunct professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine at GW SMHS, on a project investigating novel approaches to evaluating blood brain barrier neuromarkers in traumatic brain injury. These projects are ongoing, and we are working toward conference presentations and eventual publication. For me, the goal is not simply adding to the literature, but contributing to a body of work that improves how we understand recovery and long-term neurological health.
Looking ahead, I absolutely see myself continuing to integrate research into my career. I am interested in pursuing residency in a field where I can continue investigating long-term neurological outcomes while remaining deeply engaged in patient care.
Reflecting on his experience, Almarkhan’s advice to students interested in research is simple: to pursue questions that are personal to them.
“Research becomes most meaningful when it is rooted in curiosity and purpose. For me, it began with my sister. That connection has sustained me through every stage of training,” Almarkhan concludes.