Mina Ostovari portrait

By Wardah Kamran

Mina Ostovari, a postdoctoral fellow and research associate in Cancer Health Disparities & Technology at the University of Virginia School of Nursing, is the 2025 winner of the Bhakta Rath Public Service Research Award. Her research focuses on cancer pain management through the use of technological monitoring devices, with support from her advisor, Virginia LeBaron, an associate professor of nursing and the Kluge-Schakat Associate Professor of Compassionate Care. 

The Bhakta Rath Public Service Research Award, established in 2022 by a gift from Dr. Bhakta B. Rath and his wife, Sushama Rath, offers an opportunity to promote and reward excellence in Public Impact Research (PIR) for graduate students or postdocs and their collaborating UVA faculty member. The award recognizes those who conduct exceptional research in anticipation of the future needs of the nation. 

Ostovari’s research centers around helping cancer patients manage pain at home with remote health monitoring technology. She studies differences in pain reporting and system utilization caused by varying characteristics among patients and caregivers. Her work has the potential to eliminate biases and accommodate differing user traits in cancer monitoring technology.

“Mina is most deserving of this recognition by the University community,” LeBaron said. “She has been an invaluable member of the BESI-C research team since she joined the UVA School of Nursing, and I look forward to her future contributions at the intersection of data science, healthcare, and engineering."

"The Bhakta Rath Research Award plays a vital role in nurturing the academic journeys of our graduate students and postdoctoral scholars,” said Lori L. McMahon, vice president for research. "This award and the early-career research it supports significantly enriches the UVA Research community, fostering innovation and excellence in the next generation of researchers. Congratulations to Mina and special thanks to Virginia as her advisor."