Krystine Ferreira, who earned a Master of Science in Epidemiology in 2025 from Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, wanted to further explore the intersectionality of sociology and biomolecular science. In the following Q&A, she discusses how she excelled in the program.
What is your academic / career background?
I received my Bachelor of Science in Biomolecular Science from the New York University Tandon School of Engineering with a minor in Sociology in 2024. At Tandon, I delved into the molecular field and spent many hours in the lab, learning and refining meticulous techniques such as polymerase chain reaction and cell culturing.
What first attracted you to this field?
It was truly my immersion in sociology courses as I completed my minor that attracted me to public health. First, I began thinking about social roles and social groups and the impact these intangible yet persistent features in society have on how we interact and how we have developed. I took a course my senior year, “Sociology of Medicine,” in which we viewed medicine through a lens that I had never focused on before. We discussed cultural health capital, social determinants, as well as the readings of Helena Hansen, MD, PhD; Gil Eyal, PhD; and Paul Starr, PhD, among others. It was through these discussions and lectures that I developed an interest in the intersectionality of sociology and biomolecular science, which to me manifests as epidemiology.
Who were your mentors and what are some of your research highlights?
While at Mount Sinai, I began working with Homero Harari, ScD, Angeline Denouel, PhD, and outreach program coordinator Ana Gonzalez on a project to investigate the health outcomes and experiences of Latina housecleaners in New York City. This experience was unforgettable. I had the opportunity to welcome participants to Mount Sinai and later interview them in Spanish using REDCap. To be able to highlight a community that is often overlooked was a special experience every day I got to work with the team.
As I worked on this project, Dr. Harari was my mentor for my culminating experience— evaluating and describing occupational exposure to chemical biomarkers associated with cleaning and disinfectant products using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 – 2014. This has been extremely rewarding as I get to use the skills I learn in class to develop my own project of interest.
Why Mount Sinai—what, specifically, are the strong points of the program?
I chose Mount Sinai because of the unique experience of being able to attend school on a medical campus where research and patient care thrive on a day-to-day basis. I knew the campus would have so much to offer and a new opportunity around every corner.
The one-year Master of Science in Epidemiology program offers you the chance to dive into public health and, while the timeline may seem daunting, it is a comprehensive experience that allows you to make the most of your time at Mount Sinai.
Also, how did you excel at Mount Sinai?
At Mount Sinai, I excelled in communicating, not just in the give-and-take within the classroom, questions in class, but to participants in a study, and for communicating learned skills to work outside of the classroom. I am a firm believer in the power of communication, and it has been very satisfying to be able to speak to people from all walks of life, to be not just the one speaking, but the one listening, and to apply my knowledge in ways that can make an impact on the future of public health.
What’s Next?
I will continue to work on projects at Mount Sinai and with communities that face great health disparities.