Student Spotlight: Ward Alktaish
As part of a larger study Ward Alktaish, class of 2027, is investigating the effects of e-cigarette use on cardiovascular health in young adults and user perceptions in real-life settings. Building on previous lab-based findings in Dr. Naomi Hamburg’s lab of acute harmful effects from vaping; such as, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, this project explores the impact of exclusive e-cigarette use of those same effects in real-life settings outside of the lab. Motivated by the rising popularity of vaping among his peers and the limited research in this area, Ward saw this as a timely opportunity to contribute meaningful data to the conversation specifically around youth vaping and address this epidemic from multiple angles. This project is particularly compelling because of its focus on individuals who exclusively vape, removing the confounding variable of cigarette smoking. His findings could inform stronger e-cigarette regulations and support interventions to help young adults quit. Through this experience and with Dr. Naomi Hamburg as his mentor, Ward has developed a passion for working with large datasets and deepened his interest in cardiovascular medicine. Ward presented early findings at the Medical Student Research Symposium in January 2025 and is currently preparing the results for publication.