🧵3/3 Ziad Hassan hails from Suffield, CT where he was raised as the middle child of Egyptian immigrants. He studied Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry at Yale University, developing an early interest at the intersection of research and patient care. He studied cell membrane protein isolation, specifically interactions between KRAS and its binding partners to identify targets for cancer therapeutics. He then spent a gap year in Cambridge, MA at a pharmaceutical startup, investigating FGF-23 as a therapy for acute pancreatitis. His research includes the impact of osteoporosis on outcomes after spinal fusion and validating the use of second metacarpal thickness on hand radiographs as a proxy for bone mineral density in Black and Hispanic patients who may face barriers to access DXA screening. Other medical interests include medical education and entrepreneurship. At Penn, Ziad has served on the Student Curriculum Council. He has been involved in health technology entrepreneurship through PennHealth X, where he served as a Vice-President