Omar Abdelmoity
Omar Abdelmoity
Omar Abdelmoity, from Overland Park, Kansas, is a senior at Washington University in St. Louis studying Biology and Anthropology as a John B. Ervin Scholar and Barry Goldwater Scholar. He is an aspiring physician-scientist committed to advancing equitable healthcare through patient-centered care, research, and policy.
His work lies at the intersection of neuroscience and public health, with a focus on disparities in mental health and neurodegenerative disease. In the Ances Bioimaging Lab, Omar led a first-of-its-kind study characterizing Alzheimer’s disease progression in individuals with Down Syndrome and autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease. His first-author manuscript was published in Annals of Neurology. He is also leading a collaborative project with the Sant Pau Memory Unit in Spain analyzing the largest APOE-E4 genotyped Down Syndrome cohort to illuminate how genetic risk shapes Alzheimer’s biomarkers. He has presented his work at national and international conferences.
Motivated by losses in his community, Omar spent several years designing and implementing mental health education programs for schools across Kansas. His efforts earned him recognition as a Future Leader in Psychiatry by the American Psychiatric Association and an invitation to join the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health’s team addressing rising suicide rates among Black youth. In September 2024, he spoke at the White House on youth mental health disparities.
On campus, Omar has expanded his advocacy through roles including president of the College of Arts & Sciences, chair of Academic Affairs for Student Union, chair of the Academic Integrity Board, and founder of a peer pre-health advising program.