New Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street Expands Care in the Queens Community

Apr 9, 2025 | Community, Featured

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Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street, a new pharmacy dedicated to providing patients with seamless access to medications and expert pharmaceutical care, is now open to the public.

The pharmacy is located on the first floor of Mount Sinai Queens-Crescent Street, a specialty care practice, next to Mount Sinai Express Care-Queens and Mount Sinai Doctors-Astoria, and across the street from Mount Sinai Queens. The pharmacy is designed to help patients by providing a coordinated, high-quality service. The pharmacy accepts most  insurance plans and delivers to patients’ homes.

Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street is convenient and makes it easy to pick up a prescription after an appointment, get a quick refill, and get needed medication after patients leave the hospital and return home. Staff at the pharmacy are ready to help by answering questions and providing key information while ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and privacy.

“The opening of Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street is another significant step forward to better serving our community,” said Cameron R. Hernandez, MD, FACHE, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mount Sinai Queens. “The pharmacy expands our continuum of care, ensuring that our neighbors in Astoria and beyond have quick and easy access to their medications—right where they receive care.”

Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street offers comprehensive specialty medication support so patients receiving treatment for complex conditions, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, or inflammatory bowel disease, can benefit from financial assistance programs, medication adherence services, refill reminders, and on-call pharmacist consultation.

With advanced language assistance and accessibility, the pharmacy team provides clear communication and understanding for all patients, offering complimentary services for those whose primary language is not English or who require visual, hearing, or other accessibility support.

“We are thrilled to bring Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street to our patients in Queens. This pharmacy is all about making health care more convenient, faster, and personalized to your needs,” said Donald Mashni, PharmD, Executive Director of Specialty Pharmacy for Mount Sinai Health System. “From offering fast prescription fills to specialty medication services and delivery options, our central location and accessible services will make managing medications easier for all of our patients.”

For more information on MyMountSinai® or to manage prescriptions easily as a current Mount Sinai patient, download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Learn more about Mount Sinai Pharmacy-Crescent Street

How Mount Sinai Unlocked a Student’s Passion for Biomedical Research

Updated on Apr 7, 2025 | Featured, Research, School

“I decided to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Sciences in hopes that I could gain…independence as a researcher, and make contributions to bettering human health,” says Henry Weith.

As he embarked on a career after graduating college, Henry Weith did not initially think about continuing his education beyond a bachelor’s degree. Instead, he focused on finding the right job in industry.

Now a third-year student in the PhD in Biomedical Sciences program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cells (DRS) Multidisciplinary Training Area, he works in the laboratory of Alison May, PhD, studying exocrine gland development and preparing for a career that will allow him to address larger scientific areas of inquiry that could eventually improve human health.

“I decided to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Sciences in hopes that I could gain…independence as a researcher, and make contributions to bettering human health,” he says. “Once starting my PhD at Mount Sinai, I found an additional passion for biomedical research that had been hidden under years of tedious, yet essential, courses in cell and molecular biology.”

In this Q&A, he discusses his journey towards a career in biomedical research, and how Mount Sinai is helping him achieve his goals. He explains how learning about what he calls the “innate beauty of developmental biology” demonstrated that unique patterns in nature, something as simple as the scales of a butterfly wing, could be important to understanding the workings of the human body, even something like the human salivary gland. And how working out in the gym is a bit like scientific research in the way hard work is eventually rewarded.

Why continue your education with a PhD in Biomedical Sciences?

Growing up I had never considered continuing my education beyond a bachelor’s degree. Career planning during my undergraduate education was mainly focused on finding a job, which in my major of bioengineering meant an industry position at a biotech company. In subsequent biotech research internships, I recognized that many of the scientists independently directing projects had attained PhDs, which not only gave them more responsibility, but expertise in complex subjects that allowed them to address expansive biological questions that contributed to essential therapies to treat diseases.

What made you interested in the Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cells training area?

One of my first academic research experiences attempted to understand the genomics regulating wing patterning in tropical butterfly species of Central and South America. This experience taught me the innate beauty of developmental biology, not just in the colorful and diverse structures it generates, but also the intricate molecular dynamics that regulate it. Patterning in biology is not just relevant in determining the scales of a butterfly wing but is also crucial to define the body axis of a fly, organize the limb buds of a developing mouse paw, or regulate the branching of a human salivary gland—all of which I believe to be equally beautiful and complex.

Can you give an example in the work in your training area?

In the DRS training area, I’m able to ask fundamental questions and utilize approaches including live cell fluorescent imaging, high throughput transcriptional sequencing, and transgenic animal models to understand how cells are programmed, how they communicate with each other and their environment, and how they appropriately pattern to form healthy tissues. This understanding can then be used to develop regenerative therapies to restore damaged tissues and treat diseases. The faculty of DRS share and enhance this curiosity-driven research through engaging seminars with questions from audience members. In DRS, I’m surrounded by like-minded individuals passionate about teasing apart the basic principles of development and tissue homeostasis.

Why did you choose to study at Mount Sinai?

Mount Sinai offered rigorous research, a welcoming environment, and unbeatable location. I wasn’t certain what specific research I wanted to pursue for my thesis when applying to PhD programs. The number of laboratories at Mount Sinai is extensive and they cover many areas of biomedical science. I was certain I would easily find an interesting research home, which I did following four rotations which made it hard to pick just one. Not only were there lots of exciting and advanced research available, but also the researchers—the current PhD students, post docs, and faculty—were emblematic of an environment that valued collaboration, passion for science, and fulfilling lives outside of research. Everyone I talked to during interviews had a passion outside of research including art, food, athletics, and more. Not only did I feel I’d have adequate work-life balance at Mount Sinai, but its location in New York City meant I could truly make the most of my time outside of the lab, whether it’s running in the park, seeing movies weekly at local theatres, or going out to concerts on the weekend.

What activities outside the classroom have contributed to your success?

Exercise, running or weightlifting outside of lab, has been crucial to maintaining adequate mental health—which I find to be incredibly important for success in research. I know exercise can be very cliché, but what I find most useful about exercise is how hard work is translated to progress in a very straight-forward manner. Biomedical research is full of ups and downs, and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, experiments just don’t work. With exercise, if I run one mile today, tomorrow I’ll likely be able to run 1.25 miles, and if I lift 50 pounds today, tomorrow I may be able to lift 55 pounds. This progress, achieved outside of lab, helps to maintain my self-confidence and assurance that I’m moving forward, even if it doesn’t always feel like my research is.

 What are your plans after you complete your PhD?

My current interests align with pursuing a faculty position at an academic research institution where I can split my time between running a lab and teaching. In academia, scientists can have control over their research and the questions they are driven to explore. I value being able to explore scientific phenomena based on curiosity and current health needs outside of the pressure of making profit. Additionally, I’ve enjoyed the experience of mentoring student trainees in lab. After working as a teaching assistant for the Development and Regeneration section of the first-year Biomedical Sciences core course, I want to continue educating budding scientists.

Any thoughts about future research projects?

I’ve enjoyed conducting basic biology research on epithelial development but would love to expand to different organ systems and cell types as well as other model organisms. I plan on pursuing a post-doctoral fellowship immediately following my PhD in hopes of gaining more independence as a research scientist and expanding my expertise to a wider breadth of research topics.

Learn more about the Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cells MTA within our PhD in Biomedical Sciences program

A Homecoming for a Mount Sinai Nurse and COVID-19 Patient

Updated on Apr 3, 2025 | COVID-19 Reflections, Featured, Nursing

A Homecoming for a Mount Sinai Nurse and COVID-19 Patient

For retired nurse Theresa Francisco, 69, the cardiac intensive care unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital means many things: it had been her workplace for nearly four decades, but also a place where she was cared for when she became critically ill with COVID-19 in 2020.

On Thursday, March 27, 2025, Ms. Francisco returned to the unit for the first time to reunite with the staff who saved her life. Accompanying her were her brother and sister-in-law—both of whom were also admitted to Mount Sinai for the treatment of COVID-19—and Cynthia Enrile, another Mount Sinai retired nurse who cared for Ms. Francisco during her hospitalization.

“I can still remember everything—being a nurse and being a patient,” said Ms. Francisco. When she was initially admitted to the unit, which had been converted to a COVID-19 response unit, she thought she would be discharged after a couple of days. Ms. Francisco ended up spending 42 days in the hospital, and was intubated for 10 of them.

Listen to Ms. Francisco recall her story, and read more about how she went from a Mount Sinai retired nurse to COVID-19 patient in a slideshow of her reunion at the intense care unit.

Theresa Francisco, retired Mount Sinai nurse, shares thoughts on visiting the same unit that treated her when she was hospitalized for COVID-19

Audio Player
Theresa Francisco, 69, who lives in Far Rockaway, Queens, had been a critical care nurse at The Mount Sinai Hospital for 38 years. She retired in January 2020.
On March 27, 2020, Ms. Francisco was hospitalized for COVID-19. She was admitted to the cardiac critical care unit—which was converted to a COVID-19 response unit during the pandemic—at The Mount Sinai Hospital, where she used to work.
Shortly after Ms. Francisco (center) was admitted, so were her brother (left) and sister-in-law (right), also for COVID-19.
Her sister-in-law was discharged after a week, and her brother was discharged after two weeks. Ms. Francisco spent 42 days in the hospital, and was intubated for 10 of them.
Francisco’s friend Cynthia Enrile (left) was a fellow nurse at the critical care unit and cared for Ms. Francisco (right) during her time there. Ms. Enrile retired in May 2020, after working at Mount Sinai since 1986.
On Easter Sunday, 2020, Ms. Francisco’s intubation tube was removed.
After her discharge, Ms. Francisco faced months of grueling recovery. She required high-flow oxygen for months and couldn’t walk.
Today, five years after being hospitalized for COVID-19, Ms. Francisco (left) is still feeling the aftereffects of the disease. She is living with cardiomyopathy and sees a Mount Sinai pulmonologist every six months for follow-up. Pulmonologist E Neil Schachter, MD (right), was part of her care team.
Reuniting with the Mount Sinai staff who saved her life was an emotional but grateful moment, said Ms. Francisco (right). Her tour was guided by Umesh Gidwani, MD (left), chief of the cardiac critical care unit and who cared for her during her hospitalization.
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Racing to Stop a Pandemic: The Critical Role of Clinical Trials

Updated on Apr 1, 2025 | COVID-19 Reflections, Featured, Research

A group photo of the COVID-19 Clinical Trial Unit, part of the Mount Sinai Infectious Diseases Clinical and Translational Research Center.

When the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up in New York City in March 2020, the disease was so novel there was no approved treatment for it.

“We saw people come to the hospital with COVID-19, and without specialized treatments, many died,” said Sean Liu, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “I remember feeling helpless, and helplessness is probably the worst feeling that a doctor could experience, because people come to you for help but there is only so much you can do or give.”

With a dire need to discover treatments for patients, the Mount Sinai Infectious Diseases Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC) formed the COVID-19 Clinical Trial Unit (COVID CTU) in June 2020 to find ways to stop the disease.

“We already had experts beginning the effort, and with the support of Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine, and under the leadership of Judith Aberg, MD, Director of the CTRC, we were able to form the COVID CTU and go all in to stop COVID-19,” said Dr. Liu, who was tapped as Medical Director of the research unit.

The COVID CTU conducted interventional studies in all aspects of tackling COVID-19, including several drugs that were ultimately approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These include Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody therapies, Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir, and two COVID-19 vaccines.

Judith Aberg, MD, Director of the Mount Sinai Infectious Diseases Clinical and Translational Research Center (left) and Sean Liu, MD, PhD, Medical Director of the COVID-19 Clinical Trials Unit (right).

In this Q&A, Dr. Liu and Dr. Aberg share their experience of how the COVID CTU worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and where it is headed in the future.

How did the COVID CTU come to be formed?

Dr. Aberg: We were able to build upon the infrastructure that was created for HIV clinical trials, along with the support of many, to immediately start two different drug trials for COVID-19. One drug aimed at the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the other was a potent anti-inflammatory. And I must say, our prompt efforts paid off. We were able to give remdesivir, an antiviral drug, via a compassionate use application on March 9—within two days of the admission of our first patient at Mount Sinai West.

Dr. Liu: When the pandemic first hit, I was working as a hospitalist—someone who cares for admitted patients—at Mount Sinai Queens, and Dr. Aberg asked me to help with clinical trials at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

As pharmaceutical companies started developing more candidates for COVID-19 treatment, the team working on the initial studies started taking on more studies, supported by the CTRC, the Infectious Diseases Division, and the Medicine Clinical Trials Office at the Icahn School of Medicine. When we realized we sorely needed to expand and formalize a team for COVID-19-related trials, Dean Charney provided seed funding, and during the summer of 2020, we were able to hire more staff needed to run the trials.

How big was the COVID CTU then, and how has it grown since?

Dr. Liu: It started with 11 people, including six from the CTRC. By 2021, we had 25 staff.

What was it like fielding a clinical trials team during the pandemic?

Dr. Liu: Dr. Aberg already had a research unit working with HIV before the pandemic, and we pooled together a staff of clinical researchers, project managers, research nurses, coordinators, and regulatory staff. It was incredible seeing so many people come together quickly to tackle one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced in health care.

In addition to assessing the effectiveness of industry-developed treatments, the unit became a translational springboard where basic science researchers could come to us with their ideas, and we could help apply them in a phase 1 study, creating a bridge between preclinical and in-human studies.

What were some of the COVID-19 trials done at Mount Sinai?

Drs. Aberg and Liu recall some of the studies done by the COVID CTU:

  • Remdesivir: The antiviral drug is currently approved by the FDA to treat patients hospitalized for COVID-19. We initially opened trials for this drug via an emergency investigational new drug application at seven hospitals. In less than a month, we opened the Gilead-sponsored studies at four hospitals.
  • Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs): We were involved in Regeneron’s mAb studies in many different settings. These included an outpatient treatment study, an outpatient post-exposure prophylaxis study, and a pre-exposure prophylaxis study. One of Regeneron’s mAb that we did a study on was sarilumab, a potent IL-6 inhibitor. While this study did not demonstrate the robust findings of another IL-6 inhibitor we had worked on, Roche’s tocilizumab, it was the first study that paved the way for potent immune-modulating therapies to treat COVID-19 as we do currently.
  • mRNA vaccine: We were heavily engaged in the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine trial, enrolling hundreds of participants from diverse backgrounds. Mount Sinai was recognized for enrolling the 40,000th participant in the initial phase 3 trial.
  • NDV-HXP-S: Mount Sinai developed its own COVID-19 vaccine, which can be delivered via injection or the nose. The technology was developed by our Microbiology Department, and the COVID CTU helped run the phase 1 trial. With our data, the vaccine went on to be developed further in other countries and has gone on to be approved as booster shots in Mexico and Thailand.
  • Hyperimmune immunoglobulin: This was a blood product-derived treatment using extracted antibodies from a pool of convalescent plasma donors who had recovered from COVID-19. With hyperimmune immunoglobulin, the patient is receiving a known purified amount of antibody from the donor. Studies are ongoing to identify who would benefit the most as well as timing in relation to onset of symptoms.

The COVID Clinical Trials Unit team received a letter of recognition for enrolling 280 participants—as well as the 40,000th participant—in the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine trial.

What were some lessons learned on running clinical trials to address the pandemic?

Dr. Liu: There were so many studies to undertake, but we had to learn to focus. A part of it was trial and error, but as we gained experience, we became better at identifying what studies were likely to yield promising results. Some clinical trials might sound great on paper, but given limited resources, we had to weigh what factors went into them—such as enrollment opportunity or viral targets—and choose our trials accordingly or make adjustments.

Dr. Aberg: Decisive action can help change the trajectory of a pandemic. When Regeneron finalized its protocol for sarilumab trials, within seven days we opened a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the drug. Its interim results, along with our remdesivir clinical trials and observational use of tocilizumab, helped advise us of the narrow window where these types of drugs may be effective to prevent patients from developing respiratory failure, requiring them to go on a ventilator, and even death.

What’s next for the COVID CTU?

Dr. Aberg: The COVID CTU no longer needed to be distinct from the CTRC. However, we are still involved in COVID-19 studies. One such trial is RECOVER-VITAL, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study to explore whether Pfizer’s Paxlovid™ treatment can be used to treat the chronic disease state commonly referred to as long COVID.

We are also in the NIH-funded Strategies and Treatments for Respiratory Infections and Viral Emergencies (STRIVE) consortium. A COVID-19 study we are involved in as part of the network is STRIVE-1, exploring whether the antiviral medication ensitrelvir can reduce symptoms and duration of hospitalization in persons with moderate to severe COVID-19. Another STRIVE COVID-19 study is exploring the additional use of immunomodulating agents for hospitalized patients.

Beyond COVID-19, we completed enrollment for a few other studies, including an mRNA shingles vaccine study by Pfizer and an exciting novel dual-affinity retargeting molecule for HIV. There are other studies we anticipate opening in 2025, including a C. difficile vaccine, as well as several HIV prevention and treatment studies.

Dr. Liu: We will never forget how the COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives. Thanks to tested vaccines and treatments, we are able to return to a normal life of packed movie theaters and lecture halls. Some of our team of skilled and knowledgeable research staff are being transferred to other areas where groundbreaking research is occurring throughout the Mount Sinai Health System. We are forever grateful for the contributions of the COVID CTU in reducing the morbidity and mortality from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here for more information about the CTRC or signing up for clinical trials

Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital Awarded Transcatheter Valve Certification by American College of Cardiology for Second Time in a Row

Updated on Apr 1, 2025 | Featured, Heart Health

Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital at The Mount Sinai Hospital has again earned the American College of Cardiology’s Transcatheter Valve Certification. Mount Sinai is the only cardiac center in New York City and one of six in New York State to receive this recognition. This award is a symbol of expertise, quality and safety of care, and commitment to treating patients who need transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

This award follows a prestigious “high performing” rating in transcatheter aortic valve replacement from U.S. News & World Report. This rating is based on multiple categories including patient survival, patient volume, and stroke prevention.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, also known as TAVR, is a minimally invasive procedure for patients with severe aortic stenosis, in which the aortic valve doesn’t fully open. This reduces blood flow leaving the heart and causes chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath. TAVR allows the aortic valve to be replaced without open-heart surgery. Interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons work together to deliver the new heart valve through a catheter that runs from a blood vessel in the groin to the aortic valve. The team then deploys the transcatheter valve within the diseased aortic valve, so the new valve can function immediately.

“It is an absolute honor that we have received Transcatheter Valve Center certification from the American College of Cardiology after a very detailed review of our structural heart program. This certification solidifies Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital as one of the premier centers in the nation for percutaneous nonsurgical valve procedures,” says Samin Sharma, MD, Director of Interventional Cardiology for the Mount Sinai Health System.

Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital underwent a rigorous evaluation in which reviewers from the American College of Cardiology conducted an analysis of key areas including:

  • Quality of care
  • Clinical outcomes and patient experience
  • Quality assessment and performance improvement initiatives
  • Multidisciplinary approach and shared decision making by heart team for patient care
  • Review of metrics from national registries
  • Staff credentialing, training, and education
  • Equipment safety and inspection
  • Infection control guidelines

“The American College of Cardiology Certification is a testament to the close collaboration and active involvement including interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists, heart failure specialists, and nurse practitioners working closely together to offer the best experience possible to our patients at Mount Sinai,” says Gilbert Tang, MD, MSc, MBA, Surgical Director of the Structural Heart Program at the Mount Sinai Health System.

“Our center, through a combination of technically skilled operators and careful attention to patient details, has achieved the best outcomes. Regular communication with patients’ families and the referring physicians has made us a preferred center for transcatheter valve therapies,” says Annapoorna Kini, MD, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

The certification is based on established national clinical measures to support clinical decisions and links process improvement to patient outcomes. Hospitals that achieve Transcatheter Valve Certification learn best practices for implementing evidence-based medicine to support patient-shared decision making and can track key performance metrics to better identify opportunities for improvement.

From Personal Tragedy to Life Purpose: How One Masters Student at Mount Sinai Was Inspired to Focus on a Career in Public Health

Mar 31, 2025 | COVID-19 Reflections, Featured, School

Brianna Sukhdeo, a second year Master of Public Health student

Brianna Sukhdeo is a second year Master of Public Health (MPH) student in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention concentration. She is also the first student from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to be selected as an ambassador as part of a special program administered by the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health.

This honor is just the next step for her as she embarks on a career in public health.

She had been inspired to study public health during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as she watched her mother having trouble getting proper medical care. As soon as she arrived at Mount Sinai, she began pursuing opportunities outside the classroom to purse this goal.

For example, she has been working with Lauren Zajac, MD, MPH and Sofia Curdumi Pendley, PhD, MPH, on TEAM Kids (Team-based Environmental Asthma Management), a pediatric asthma clinic at Mount Sinai.

She found that mentors were willing to invite students into professional spaces to give them networking experiences and to develop new skills. Her mentors have been responsive to outreach from students and are willing to share professional opportunities, even to mentees they don’t work with directly.

The team that manages the Graduate Program in Public Health recognized that she would be a good fit for the This is Public Heath (TIPH) Ambassador Program run by the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health. So they met with her to explain the opportunity and then nominated her for it.

“I was excited to learn that I would be the first representative from Mount Sinai to participate,” she says of the program, which aims to raise awareness of the field of public health to students across the United States.

Embarking on a career in public health wasn’t always her primary goal.

“I want students to understand how foundational public health is to health care careers, along with how to make connections between this field and industries such as business, law, politics, and environmental science,” she says. “Public Health should be the lens through which we view health in our society.”

While completing her undergraduate degree in psychology, she thought about becoming a school psychologist or child psychologist. Her plans changed when her mom got sick and was hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic. She saw how her mother wasn’t getting the care she needed and how resources were diverted during the pandemic.

Her mother had been living with liver problems and had been treated at other hospitals without a specific diagnosis. She finally came to The Mount Sinai Hospital, and her daughter credits this with saving her mother’s life. Her mother was diagnosed and treated for autoimmune hepatitis, a chronic liver disease. She has since recovered.

During the pandemic, Brianna Sukhdeo was inspired to help patients who were alone in hospitals due to COVID-19 restrictions, which led her to an internship at the Stony Brook University Emergency Department helping patients and families in the Emergency Department. Her supervisor, Samita Heslin, MD, MPH, MBA, was an Emergency Department doctor. “She explained how useful and versatile public health is in addressing the foundational issues of health and how these concepts can be applied to patient care,” she says.

While researching the next step in her educational journey, Brianna discovered many pediatric mentors were available at Mount Sinai.

“I was drawn to the fact that the Icahn School of Medicine was within the Mount Sinai Health System, which provides many opportunities for professional development, such as volunteering in clinical settings, research, and quality improvement,” she says.

“I often work with medical students, health administration students, and students from several other programs,” she says of her time at the Icahn School of Medicine. “The collaborative environment encouraged me to be an active participant as a student instead of just passive learning.”

After graduating from the MPH program in June, she hopes to attend medical school and become a public health pediatrician.

The goal of the This is Public Health Ambassador Program is to raise awareness of the field of public health. She believes this is crucial because she didn’t know much about the field until she was far into her academic journey.

“I want students to understand how foundational public health is to health care careers, along with how to make connections between this field and industries such as business, law, politics, and environmental science,” she says. “Public Health should be the lens through which we view health in our society.”

The TIPH Cohort runs from August through June, and the most important part of the experience is the networking. Participating schools have the chance to nominate one student a year. They meet once a month to discuss the similarities and differences of their programs, places of need, and to share resources. Brianna has enjoyed learning about the policy differences from ambassadors at schools in other states.

The TIPH Cohort provides advice to prospective public health students, such as why to study in this field, how to pick a school, how to successfully apply to programs, and more. Brianna has attended virtual and in-person recruitment fairs to answer these student questions. Each TIPH Cohort participant completes a presentation or project, which can include interviewing professionals in the field, educating students about public health topics, and more.

Learn more about the This is Public Health Ambassador Cohort
Learn more about the Department of Public Health at Mount Sinai

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