Young teen makes waves in medical AI research at UT AI Symposium
At just 13 years old, Myreen Ahsan is already earning recognition usually reserved for PhD candidates and seasoned professionals. From leading-edge research on brain cancer to award-winning robotics projects, the Friendswood Junior High student is blazing a trail in science, medicine, and technology.
Just last month, Myreen’s research drew national attention when her abstract was selected for presentation at the 2025 UT System AI Symposium, a conference designed for advanced researchers, graduate students, and medical professionals.
“It was honestly one of those ‘I had to read the email three times just to believe it’ moments,” she said. “We were just standing there smiling, stunned, and really in disbelief.”
Previous accolades
Earlier this year, Myreen took second place at the 2025 Texas Science and Engineering Fair with a project that explored the application of AI in glioblastoma research. Her work stood out among middle school and high school competitors across the state — earning her the opportunity to represent Texas this fall at the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge, one of the nation’s most prestigious STEM competitions.
“My passion for neuroscience really started at competitive neuroscience camps I attended around the country,” Myreen said. “While preparing for my science fair project, I came across an article on AlphaFold 3.0 and its role in drug discovery. It felt like two worlds I was passionate about, AI and neuroscience, suddenly clicked together.”
Her project uses AlphaFold 3.0 and other bioinformatics tools to predict protein structures involved in glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer. Despite having no formal training, she taught herself to use professional platforms like HDOCK and PLIP through tutorials, reading scientific papers, and experimenting with public datasets.
“It started with curiosity,” Myreen said. “I treated it like a puzzle. I kept learning bit by bit until it made sense. It wasn’t always easy, but it was exciting and that made the hard parts worth it.”
UT System AI Symposium debut
At the symposium presented by The University of Texas System, Myreen presented her work to physician leaders and researchers, including Xiaoqian Jiang, PhD, chair of the Department of Health Data Science and AI and the Christopher Sarofim Family Professor in Biomedical Informatics and Bioengineering at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston; Babatope Fatuyi, chief medical information officer at UTHealth Houston; and Martin J. Citardi, MD, vice dean of clinical technology, chair of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and Memorial Hermann Chair at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
Each offered Myreen their own form of mentorship and thoughtful feedback, and Myreen described the experience as “truly inspiring” and credited the UT System for creating opportunities that uplift young innovators like her.
“I was thoroughly impressed by Myreen’s project and her thoughtful presentation of it. To see a young person so deeply engaged with cutting-edge topics demonstrates the extraordinary potential of the next generation,” Jiang said. “Her work not only reflects a strong understanding of artificial intelligence in biomedical sciences but also showcases her curiosity and commitment to learning.
“Witnessing Myreen discuss the possibilities of AI in health data science gives me great optimism about the future of our field. Her enthusiasm and insight serves as a powerful example of how early exposure to technology can empower young innovators to push boundaries and shape the future.”
The role of robotics in her life
But Myreen’s story doesn’t begin or end with research.
She is already a decorated robotics competitor, having led her team to the VEX Robotics World Excellence Award in 2021 and winning the Design Award in 2022.
In recognition of the achievement, Texas State Rep. Dennis Paul authored House Resolution 168 to honor her team as the first from Texas to win the VEX Robotics top prize.
Since then, she has turned her focus toward mentorship. As an 11-year-old, Myreen took the stage at the Girls’ Talk Event during the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship, speaking alongside leaders from Google and Texas Instruments. Her presentation, “Evolution of Rock-IT-Bots: Our Path to Success,” emphasized teamwork, innovation, and resilience.
Future medical AI endeavors
Myreen is now working to launch a nonprofit, the AI-MED STEM Society, aimed at empowering students through access to AI education and biomedical research opportunities. The organization will offer outreach programs, student-led projects, and industry collaborations focused on using AI to solve real-world problems in health care.
“My dream is to be part of meaningful discoveries that help fill innovation gaps in medicine,” Myreen said. “And I want to inspire other young minds to believe they can do the same thing, too.”
With ambition as vast as her talent, Myreen isn’t just preparing for the future, she’s helping to shape it.
Sonia Ahsan, MHA, Myreen’s mother and assistant director of Epic Ancillary, Interoperability, and Radiology at UTHealth Houston, had this to say about her daughter’s exceptional accomplishments.
“As both a mother and a health care technology leader, watching Myreen grow into a young innovator has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Myreen’s curiosity, empathy, and determination remind us that when young minds are empowered early, they can lead us toward breakthroughs we never imagined. I hope her story inspires other students to explore AI, not as a distant concept, but as a powerful means to improve lives and reimagine the future of health care.”