A Spotlight on Ahmed Fothan's Recent Summer Research

"I attended a summer research program at the Aortic Institute of Yale–New Haven Hospital at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. While there, I worked on a research project entitled “How Many Patients with Silent Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Can Be Detected by the ‘Guilt-by-Association’ Paradigm?” under the direct supervision of Professor John Elefteriades, Director of the Aortic Institute at Yale–New Haven, Section of Cardiac Surgery.

While working on this project, I learned to conduct literature searches through the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and carried out a thorough review of all available studies relevant to our research topic. In addition, my colleagues and I had the opportunity to present our findings at the monthly Aortic Institute Meeting of Cardiac Surgery. This multidisciplinary meeting brought together clinicians and scientists from various specialties, including cardiology, anesthesiology, genetics, and bioengineering.

Beyond my research duties, I also joined Professor Elefteriades in the operating room on several occasions, where I observed a variety of aortic interventions performed at Yale, such as the replacement of the ascending and descending aorta with artificial grafts. I also attended Professor Elefteriades’s outpatient clinics. This experience was particularly valuable, as it allowed me to observe and understand the core principles of aortic and cardiac surgery. Furthermore, I participated in teaching sessions in the operating room, where the basics of cardiopulmonary bypass, myocardial protection, and deep hypothermia were explained.

Through this experience, I gained valuable knowledge about conducting clinical research and deepened my understanding of aortic diseases and surgery. I also developed strong communication and leadership skills, learned to collaborate effectively within a team of medical colleagues and research associates, and built lasting friendships.

When I reflect on my academic journey, I can say with certainty that I would not be where I am today without the Hadhramout Foundation.

Throughout the entire program, I was fully sponsored by the foundation. Yet what they gave me extended far beyond financial support. They offered belief, trust, and a long-term investment—not only in me, but in the idea that education can be a tool for rebuilding lives and communities.

Coming from Yemen, a country deeply affected by years of conflict and instability, the path to higher education was anything but straightforward. Many young people face interrupted schooling, limited opportunities, and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty about the future. Amid all of that, the Hadhramout Foundation stood as a rare source of hope—quiet, consistent, and profoundly human.

They did more than fund our studies. They mentored us, connected us with others, and fostered a community of learners bound by shared purpose. They reminded us that while war can destroy buildings, it cannot destroy potential. For many of us, that belief alone was enough to keep going.

But the most important part of this story is not mine alone. What the Hadhramout Foundation does is part of something greater: it is about development through education, about planting seeds that grow into social, economic, and human impact.

Each scholarship student becomes a multiplier. We take what we learn and apply it in our homes, our communities, and—when possible—our country. We become agents of change, not because we were told to, but because someone believed in us when the world seemed to forget.

Having lived this experience, I have come to see education not only as a personal achievement but as a form of resistance and reconstruction. It is how we push back against despair. It is how we begin again.

To those working in development, education, or philanthropy: what you invest in today—especially in fragile contexts—creates ripple effects that extend far beyond one individual. The Hadhramout Foundation has proven that, and I am living proof of it.

To the foundation, I offer my deepest gratitude. And to those who believe in the transformative power of education: keep going. Your impact is real."

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