Sanjana Molleti

Sanjana is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Raised in the Twin Cities, she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Biology, Society, and the Environment in 2022. During her time in undergrad, she was designated as one of 13 national Borlaug Ruan scholars and designed a research project studying the nutritional value of orange sweet potatoes in Kampala, Uganda, sparking her interest in international partnerships for research. In medical school, Sanjana pursued a clinical passion for infectious disease and ophthalmology and joined an international collaboration between the University of Minnesota and Makerere University in Uganda studying CMV retinitis in immunocompromised Ugandan populations. She has also conducted research studying the impact of art and creativity workshops on graduate students in Nagasaki, Japan. Sanjana will be applying to residency in ophthalmology with goals to improve vision screening and access to clinical and surgical eye care worldwide. In her free time, Sanjana enjoys singing, learning languages and exploring local restaurants and cafes. 

Determining the Prevalence of CMV Retinitis in HIV-associated Meningitis Patients in Uganda
Infectious Disease Institute
Uganda

What does the Kean Fellowship mean to you?
The Kean Fellowship represents a transformative opportunity to contribute to meaningful, field-based research on vision-threatening diseases. For me, it is a critical stepping stone toward a career at the intersection of infectious disease, ophthalmology and global health. The Fellowship would allow me to engage directly with patients and healthcare providers in Uganda, learning how limited resources and high disease burdens shape diagnostic capacity and treatment options. Being part of the Kean community would connect me with mentors and peers who share the goal of advancing health justice on a global scale.

What do you anticipate learning?
The Kean Fellowship will allow me to spend significant time on the infectious disease wards at Makerere University and conduct non-mydriatic screenings for qualifying patients. This will allow me to visualize the plethora of potential retinal pathologies, evaluate diagnostic tools and consider quality control requirements, allowing our team to better identify and manage these diseases. I hope to better understand the logistical, clinical and ethical complexities of studying diseases that may be underdiagnosed due to limited access to subspecialty care like ophthalmology. This experience will enhance my ability to think critically about how to implement feasible, scalable solutions for retinal diseases in global health settings.

What interests you about tropical medicine and what problems are you interested in solving?
Tropical medicine appeals to me because it addresses diseases that disproportionately affect the world’s most underserved populations. My specific interest lies in the intersection of infectious disease and vision loss, an area that has enormous implications for quality of life and independence. In Uganda, the burden of CMV retinitis among immunocompromised patients remains high, and delayed or missed diagnoses can lead to irreversible blindness. I am particularly interested in solving problems related to early detection, patient education and integration of eye care into routine screening services. My long-term goal is to help develop sustainable, locally adapted strategies to reduce vision loss from preventable or treatable conditions in resource limited settings.