Amy Divaraniya, PhD, keynote speaker at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences 2026 Lab Coat Ceremony, the celebratory start of academic research and training for PhD and MD-PhD students, had a story of personal and professional resilience to share about how Mount Sinai shaped her own career trajectory.
When she entered the PhD in Biomedical Sciences program in 2014, she told the audience, she had already completed a master’s degree in bioinformatics and was working full-time at a major pharmaceutical company.
“I loved what I was doing, but I learned pretty quickly that in science, credentials can matter,” she said. “I started seeing a ceiling above me that had very little to do with what I was capable of doing and a lot to do with the degree I didn’t have. So I decided to come back to school.”
Amy Divaraniya, PhD
It was also a time that coincided with her desire to start a family. “I did what a lot of women do, I bought the [fertility] tools that were available to me,” she said. However, she quickly realized they were frustratingly unreliable.
“I was getting a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. I knew how to analyze incredibly complex biological datasets, and yet, when it came to my own body, I felt completely powerless,” she said. “But somewhere in that experience, the scientist in me started taking over. Why couldn’t I see the actual hormonal changes happening in my body?”
She envisioned a start-up that would help women track and predict ovulation with scientific precision. Two Graduate School faculty mentors encouraged and guided her. “There was an entire team here genuinely invested in my success,” she said.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was essentially my first pitch for Oova, Inc.,” the company she would found as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2017—the same year she completed her PhD—that has helped transform at-home hormonal health technology.
“I had never wanted to be an entrepreneur,” she said. “I had never dreamed about being a CEO. I had never taken a business class. What I did know how to do was being a scientist. And, that turned out to be a pretty good place to start.”
The Graduate School offers PhD degrees in Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Clinical Research, Health Sciences Engineering, and through its MD-PhD program. The Lab Coat ceremony took place on September 10 in Goldwurm Auditorium.
The incoming students join Mount Sinai at a time of great achievement for the institution. For federal fiscal year 2026, the School of Medicine is No. 9 in National Institutes of Health grant funding in the United States among medical schools and No. 1 in New York State, offering exceptional opportunities for students to participate in research efforts across the Mount Sinai Health System.
Marta Filizola, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, greeted the students and guests. “The lab coats our students receive today are more than a symbol of their chosen profession,” she said. “They represent a commitment to scientific rigor and integrity, to collaboration and discovery, and to the responsibilities that come with pursuing research aimed at advancing knowledge and improving human health.”
Marta Filizola, PhD,
Dr. Filizola added: “This year is particularly special because, for the first time, we welcome students from our newest doctoral program, Health Sciences Engineering. Developed in partnership with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the program brings together complementary strengths in engineering, biomedical science, and medicine.” Dr. Filizola is also Chair of the Department of Graduate Education and the Sharon & Frederick A. Klingenstein/Nathan G. Kase, MD Professor of Pharmacological Sciences.
Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, encouraged the students to reach new scientific heights. “This course of study is not simply ‘more school.’ It’s training to become someone capable of independently creating new knowledge,” he said. “It involves years of research, failed experiments, harsh criticism, many revisions, and ultimately defending your work before experts.” Dr. Nestler is also Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System.
Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD
He added: “Yes, you will need thick skin to make it as a scientist. Do not take criticism of your work personally. When your research is criticized—and it will be—carefully consider the feedback and use it to improve your work. But always maintain the inner confidence to stay on track.”
Click below for a slideshow of Lab Coat Ceremony photos.
