On April 28th, 2025, OlaRose Ndubuisi presented her first-authored scoliosis research abstract titled, “Physical and Mental Health Symptoms correlate with Angle of Trunk Rotation to predict Kids at risk for Scoliosis in Imo State, Nigeria” at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2025 Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. PAS is one of the most prestigious pediatric research conferences with over 70,000 members and 8,800+ pediatricians, researchers, and medical professionals in attendance.

As the only high schooler and youngest presenter there, OlaRose says it was an honor to meet medical professionals from around the country with inspiring career paths. She learned so much from listening to oral and poster presentations throughout her time at the conference — April 25th to April 28th.

OlaRose says it was wonderful to be able to attend the conference with her mom, Dr. Olachi Mezu-Ndubuisi. At PAS, she presented two oral presentations about her own incredible research on Retinopathy of Prematurity. It was inspiring for OlaRose to witness her mother share important research that she is so passionate about, and be mentored by her mom in her global health research with Mezu International Foundation. OlaRose’s poster was one of the official presentations from the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester.

OlaRose is so grateful that she presented her research and raised scoliosis awareness on a larger stage. Here is a link to a post with a detailed explanation of OlaRose’s research: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJkd84Ryi_c/?igsh=MTVqbTZhNWRycmF6cQ==

She is working on submitting her research for peer-review publication, and she is looking forward to my first-authored research publication.

OlaRose appreciates the kindness and support of the physicians, pediatricians, and medical professionals that came to listen to her presentation. They were impressed, commented on how important and impactful her research findings are, shared that it could be implemented to make a positive difference, and that she should be in front of an even larger audience, which was very encouraging and motivating to hear.

The beautiful backdrop of Honolulu with its swaying palm trees, warm weather, and welcoming community made this experience even more memorable.