Nazanin Zaer

UConn School of Medicine

Naz was born in Waterbury, CT, where she lived until kindergarten. Her family then moved to Wethersfield, CT, where she still resides today. She received a bachelor of science degree in molecular and cell biology from the University of Connecticut in 2025, graduating summa cum laude. She also minored in bioinformatics, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Naz’s research focuses on immigrant populations in Connecticut, addressing healthcare barriers and ways to reduce them. She volunteers with the town of Wethersfield to create pamphlets educating immigrants and refugees on insurance, vaccinations, and general healthcare information. She led a TQI (total quality improvement) project at UConn to improve translation service use for international students. At Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Naz assisted in the emergency department by administering food insecurity surveys and providing vouchers to families who screened positive. She works as a paraprofessional in Wethersfield with students who have diverse needs, including physical and learning disabilities. Naz has also volunteered with Husky Reads, a SNAP-funded program teaching nutrition to preschoolers.

Naz wanted to be involved with UST/AS because she is passionate about health equity and health education. At UConn, she attended an AHEC retreat, which she found productive and collaborative. She hopes to gain more knowledge and experience supporting patients from marginalized communities, and to learn from the perspectives of other program members, to provide culturally competent care to future patients. She looks forward to working with others to fill gaps in patient care.