.jpg "Shaina W. Twardus, BA photo")
Medical Student
University of Virginia Department of Otolaryngology
Shaina Twardus is a third-year medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine who is currently pursuing an ENT clinical research fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina during the 2025-2026 academic year. She graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University with a B.A. in Biology and a concentration in East Asian Languages and Cultures and is a proud first-generation college graduate. She originally discovered her enthusiasm for working with surgical patients after working with the Xavier Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she spearheaded several prospective studies for patients with severe IBD requiring colorectal surgery.
Thus far, Shaina has pursued multiple research projects in laryngology, otology, and reconstructive surgery, and she is ecstatic to continue delving deeper into the world of ENT over the next two years before hopefully pursuing residency training in the specialty. She cares deeply about mitigating inequities in access to healthcare and education and has been involved in extensive service and advocacy efforts, including through Americorps. Her outside interests include singing, art, language learning, hiking 14ers, skiing, long-distance running, and board games.