Nicole DeSouza to Deliver Student Address at the 166th NYMC GSBMS Commencement

What inspired you to pursue your degree?

A love for science inspired me to pursue my Ph.D. This is a very common answer, but it's true. I always enjoyed learning as a child. I loved English. I loved reading. Then, as I got older, I started to appreciate science and math, and I just wanted to continue my education in that direction. I was always inspired by medicine and foundational sciences, so that was the driving force for selecting a degree program in microbiology and immunology but also completing a Ph.D.
 
What type of research have you been involved in during your time at New York Medical College (NYMC)?

I was involved in thyroid cancer research at NYMC. I was jointly mentored by Jan Geliebter, Ph.D., professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology and associate professor of otolaryngology, and Raj K. Tiwari, Ph.D., professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology and associate professor of otolaryngology. Their labs work with anaplastic thyroid cancer and papillary thyroid cancer. Together, we had a project where we looked at noncoding RNA molecules that are dysregulated in anaplastic thyroid cancer, which is a very aggressive and deadly form of thyroid cancer. We looked at molecular markers and tried to develop different ways of investigating unique molecular gene signatures associated with metastasis. 
 
What has helped motivate you along your educational journey? Have you encountered any challenges along the way?

There were a lot of challenges in research in general, like learning new techniques and trying to troubleshoot along the way. However, I was surrounded by so many great people. Not only my two mentors, which I was immeasurably lucky to have, I had incredible fellow lab members who are also my very dear friends. It was a very collaborative and happy environment to be a part of, which was a significant contributor to finishing the degree in general but also making it a very enjoyable experience as well.

After you graduate, what is your dream career?

After I graduate, I plan to stay in biomedical research, applying to positions in industry. I am interested in cancer, but I'm also very interested in expanding out to other areas of microbiology and immunology. Specifically, I've always been interested in virology and infectious disease, so those are areas that I'm also very open to pursuing. 
 
What made you choose NYMC?

When I initially interviewed here, we were the last class to interview in-person in January 2020, as I was in the entering class for the fall of 2020. The campus felt immediately and genuinely like home. I remember walking into the building and everyone was very friendly. It was a unique, home-like environment—especially compared to some of the other places I had visited, which were all wonderful in their own ways—but there was something truly special about NYMC. GSBMS Dean Marina K. Holz, Ph.D., M.P.H. ’23, Dr.P.H. ’24, and Assistant Dean Tetyana Cheairs, M.D., M.S.P.H. were very welcoming. They seemed like very incredible, strong leaders, which ended up, of course, holding true, which I learned while I was a student here. Since the day I interviewed, I was ready to commit, as soon as they had offered the position and the opportunity to join to school.
 
What has been your favorite aspect of being an NYMC student?

My favorite aspect of being an NYMC student would be having the opportunity to be in a collaborative environment, especially in the lab within our department. Everybody was very welcoming and friendly. Anytime I needed any help, there were at least five people who were willing to go out of their way to always be of assistance and share their knowledge in any capacity that they could. I am very greatly appreciative of that and it’s one of my fondest memories throughout the past few years. Another fond memory was one Sunday morning, I had an issue with the microscope in our department. Dana Mordue, Ph.D., associate professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology and vice chancellor for accreditation and student support, is highly skilled with the equipment. Although she wasn’t even my direct mentor, I emailed her to let her know it wasn’t working. She asked if my experiment was time sensitive. I said not really—but it kind of was, and I think she knew that. She responded, “Well, I’m coming in anyway.” She ended up spending several hours with me, making sure I got all the images I needed. That moment really stood out to me—her going out of her way just to make sure we were taken care of." I also had two extraordinary mentors, who each day went above and beyond to ensure we all had a happy and successful lab environment. I am so incredibly lucky to have had them.
 
What advice would you give applicants or incoming students?

My advice to an incoming student would be to just enjoy it. It’s a very interesting experience pursuing a Ph.D., because there’s really no clear end in sight. There is to a degree, but it’s not a set curriculum. You are your own best friend throughout the whole process. You have people around you who are very helpful, but at the end of the day, it’s you getting yourself through it. So just be patient and try to enjoy it—even if things don’t go exactly as planned—take that as a learning experience. And remember, you’ll probably miss it one day.

Outside of your studies, what are your hobbies or interests?

I enjoy a lot of thriller novels. It's probably my favorite pastime. I also love spending time with my family and my friends. I'm from Long Island, so it's very similar to Westchester, but we have a little bit more opportunity for some hiking and more scenic walks up here. So that's been something that I very much enjoyed about living up here.
 
What is a fun fact about you?

A lot of people don't know that I played the drums almost my whole life, up until college.