A Scientist at Heart

2/21/2025

By Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00, Head of Community Engagement

Crunching cardiology data, Trinity senior pursues passion in medicine and beyond

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Poster Series is an annual opportunity for IB Higher Level Science students to present their research topics and data to the entire school community. It can feel a bit daunting for many students, as they explain their research projects and answer a wide swath of questions from attendees of all ages.

For IB Senior Geri Abbate ’25, however, this felt familiar and fun. Abbate has been presenting her research to the scientific and medical communities at medical conferences throughout the country since her freshman year. This fall, she was a co-author in a journal article published in the American Heart Association’s Circulation that detailed the research she conducted alongside several physicians and PhD researchers from the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth Universities. The official title of the article is Determinants of Exercise Intolerance in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: a Systematic Review.

Following the article’s publication, Abbate traveled to Chicago to present the findings at a cardiology conference. Last year, she visited New Orleans and a cardiology conference there.

Abbate came by her scientific curiosity naturally, as her father is a cardiologist who divides his professional time between seeing patients at the University of Virginia hospital and conducting research within the university. Her mother also works for the university, as the Education Abroad and Outreach Manager. Both parents are Italian, and Geri is fluent in Italian herself and travels there every year to see family.

Geri has always been interested in the sciences and immersed herself in the world as soon as she began high school. “Every summer, beginning after 9th grade, I began volunteering at UVA, working with my dad and other researchers,” remembers Abbate. In an experience that first summer closely mimicking the IB poster series, she made a poster summarizing her research and for the American Heart Association. “During the conference, attendees, mostly cardiologists, would visit our booth and ask questions about the poster and our research. I learned to think on my feet and explain what we had done,” said Abbate.

Abbate’s composure and maturity often have attendees at conferences thinking she is already in college or beyond. Next year, Abbate will begin her first year at UVA, and she plans to major in biology, premed. “I want to be a doctor but I’m not sure of a speciality yet,” she said.

During her Junior Work Week last year, he shadowed in a cardiac research lab at VCU and enjoyed using real lab equipment and extra cells to perform experiments. “We were looking at cancer treatment on heart cells and trying to find a way to prevent damage in future,” she said. This complemented her summer work spent researching in the UVA medical laboratories. “We were compiling and centralizing information to allow doctors and other medical professionals to read everything in one location rather than having to search through various articles,” she said.

While Abbate has spent significant time working in professional environments, she has loved her time at Trinity and the memories and friendships forged here. “I love the campus and being a part of the full IB program,” she said. “I knew the academics would be rigorous and I have grown from some of the unexpected challenges with IB, like learning to manage my time with long-term projects.”

And what about time for non-academic fun as well? “I really enjoyed the high school experiences of going to football and basketball games and cheering together and being united with the community,” she said. “I love seeing people from other grades and how it doesn’t matter what age we are because we’re all together. I also loved playing sports and the community in those sports and the Outdoor Program, with rock climbing in 9th and 12th grade.”

As she moves through her final semester of high school, Abbate is full of gratitude for her experiences. “I have a great group of friends and senior year has been really fun. Senior Sunrise and the club fair on the same day was a great memory and I love all of the school spirit.

Her advice for younger students? “Go to any and all events you can, and it’s never too late to make new friends. Also, talk to your teachers. They will always be reasonable and will work with you. Use Tutorial and Discovery. Your teachers want to help you, and that is something I have really appreciated about the school.”

Given the experience Abbate has already gleaned in her high school years, it seems like an apt prediction that she already has and will continue to help others in her bright future as well, no matter where she chooses to focus her prodigious and passionate talents.

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About “Connections”

Connections is a regular online column, written from the first-person perspective of Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00, Head of Community Engagement:

In this space, I have the privilege of sharing stories of Trinity students, alumni, and faculty and staff who are carrying our mission beyond the boundaries of campus. Many of these stories might not make the headlines, but they will illustrate how every member of the Trinity community has a unique path to discover, and the ability to make an impact on both the Trinity community and the world beyond.

I am fortunate to have been a part of this community since my own adolescence. I have been a student, a teacher, a coach, and an administrator, and in these roles I have witnessed the school’s growth and evolution through the years. We have grown in size as well as spirit.

Stories here will capture how seeds planted at Trinity have taken root and flourished into full-grown passions. You’ll also read stories of those in our community who bring their gifts from outside to help us learn. At Trinity, we seek to develop lifelong learners, and stories here will illustrate real-life examples of that beautiful symbiosis.