Daaryan Halatai

Daaryan Halatai is a first year student in the Master of Science in Biomedical Science (MSBS) program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

In this Q&A, he explains why he chose Mount Sinai and how his training program is preparing him to apply to medical school.

“My time at Mount Sinai has been a meaningful experience that has strengthened my passion for medicine and allowed me to be part of a community committed to caring for patients,” he says.

What is your academic and career background?

I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2024 with a major in Professional Sciences, concentrating in Biology, and a minor in Psychology. During my time at VCU, I built a strong foundation across different areas of science and applied that knowledge through summer research in the laboratory of Lauren Cowart, PhD. I was also involved with organizations such as the American Chemical Society at VCU, where I participated in weekly discussions and activities related to chemistry principles. Before enrolling at Mount Sinai, I worked as a clinical technician in the Emergency Department at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, which gave me valuable hands-on experience in the medical field.

What first attracted you to this field?

What attracted me to the medical field is my desire to help people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. I have always been drawn to science and medicine because they give an understanding of disease on a deeper level while combining problem-solving, compassion, and lifelong learning. To me, the medical field is a place where I can serve others, continue growing as a student of science, and make a meaningful impact.

Why did you choose to study at the Icahn School of Medicine?

After graduating from VCU, I wanted to strengthen my medical school application by continuing to grow academically while gaining more research and clinical experience. When I first spoke with Program Director Jose Silva, PhD, about the MSBS program, he explained that the Icahn School of Medicine would provide the opportunities I was looking for, including shadowing physicians, participating in research, and earning a graduate degree in Biomedical Sciences. When I visited the campus for the first time, I was inspired by seeing physicians, nurses, researchers, and students all working within the same environment. That sense of community reflected the type of academic and clinical setting I had hoped to be part of since committing to my goal of becoming a physician.

Who are your mentors, and what is the focus of your research?

At Mount Sinai, I am under the mentorship of Louis Cohen, MD, alongside Daniela Guisado, MD, Kushal Saha, PhD, Salima Soualhi, PhD, and Katherine Cook. Dr. Cohen leads the Crohn’s Disease Stem Cell Transplant Program at Mount Sinai, which is designed for patients with severe Crohn’s disease who have not responded to traditional medical treatments. As the first program of its kind in the United States, it brings together specialists from both clinical and basic science departments. The program combines advanced patient care with translational research to help guide patients through the stem cell transplantation process. Through this work, our lab aims to better understand refractory Crohn’s disease and how stem cell transplants may improve treatment for these patients.

What has been your greatest accomplishment in the program so far?

My biggest accomplishment in the program has been excelling in my graduate course classes while also participating and being a part of organizations such as the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP) and being the master’s representative for SEOS (Students for Equal Opportunity in Science)!

What activities outside the classroom have contributed to your success?

On my breaks when I get to go back to Northern Virginia to spend time with my family, I also volunteer with Great Vibe Events. This has contributed to my personal growth and success by allowing me to help organize events for adults with disabilities aged 18 and older. Through this experience, I have strengthened my communication, empathy, and leadership skills while learning the importance of creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. As someone pursuing a future in healthcare, this volunteer work has helped me become more compassionate and committed to serving diverse communities.

What are your plans after you complete your MSBS?

My plan after graduating from the MSBS program is to apply to medical and osteopathic schools. I also hope I can remain involved in Dr. Cohen’s research. Through my experience at Mount Sinai, I feel more prepared and confident as I enter my first application cycle.

Families and friends of the class of 2026 of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai filed into the David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center on Tuesday, May 5, to celebrate one thing: Commencement for the graduating class.

The Icahn School of Medicine granted a total of 192 degrees at the 57th Commencement: 110 MD, 54 PhD, 16 MD/PhD, 4 MD/MPH, and 8 MD/MSCR.

It takes courage for the many medical and graduate students to make it through school, and it will take much more as they embark on their next steps of residency and postdoctoral training, said Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine, speaking to the audience.

“For scientists, that means being courageous in tackling the most complicated scientific questions facing humanity,” said Dr. Nestler. “Courageous in not being intimidated by failures or by the enormity of bold and risky undertakings.

“For physicians, that means being courageous in assuming responsibility for your patients’ health, even when confronting the most difficult cases,” Dr. Nestler added. “And being courageous and compassionate in comforting patients and their families when you do not have an answer, when there is no cure, and sometimes not even a treatment.”

The road ahead might be fraught, but the Icahn School graduates are well-prepared to navigate obstacles and ultimately improve society, said Brendan G. Carr, MD, MA, MS, Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “I think you will discover. I know you will cure. And decrease health disparities and make the world a better place,” he said. “And I know we’re going to take credit for it because we trained you. And we’re almost as proud of you as your parents are in the back.”

The Commencement student speakers echoed sentiments of optimism for the future, but also acknowledged what it takes to get there.

“If I had to name the first theme of tonight, it would be this: gratitude,” said graduating student Katrina Nietsch, who represented the MD class. “Gratitude for the patients who trusted us before we had earned it—who let us fumble through our first histories and physicals, who answered our questions with grace, who shared their stories.” She called on the graduating class to be proud of what they have achieved, and to be hopeful for what is to come.

“We tend to focus on the first or last author and forget the most important scientists of all: ‘et al.’” said graduating student Nesteene Param, who represented the PhD class. “All of us have been ‘et al.’ We have all contributed to meaningful ideas and pushed them forward. Every person in this room, and every scientist we acknowledge in our work, has spent thousands of hours building the knowledge that drives our projects.”

The slideshow below gathers the stories of six graduating students on what it was like being at the Icahn School of Medicine, and what advice they would give their past selves or future students.

“The MHA program gave me more than academic preparation; it gave me the confidence and tools to step into my future as a health care leader,” says Maria Carrasco.

Maria Carrasco is a second-year student in the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is an international student from the Dominican Republic and has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida International University.

In this Q&A, she discusses how she believes the curriculum and mentorship at Mount Sinai is preparing her to become an effective health care leader.

Why did you choose to study at Mount Sinai?

I chose to pursue my Master of Health Administration at the Icahn School of Medicine because of its strong reputation in health care leadership and its commitment to patient-centered care. I was looking for a program that would challenge me academically while also preparing me for real-world health care environments, and the school felt like the right place from the start.

From my first semester, I felt supported by professors and mentors who genuinely care about our growth and preparation. In every class, they took time to connect with us, encourage our critical thinking, and relate course material to real health care challenges.

What course has had the biggest impact on you so far?

Every course has had a lasting impact; they have helped me understand how strong leadership and organizational culture directly influence patient care and employee engagement. Learning about health care systems and management strategies deepened my appreciation for the role administrators play in creating efficient and compassionate environments.

One course that had a particularly strong impact on me was Health Care Operations in my first semester. Through this class, I realized that this is the area of health care I truly want to pursue in my career. It helped me see how behind-the-scenes processes directly affect patient care, staff experiences, and overall outcomes. Learning about workflow design, resource management, and operational efficiency showed me how meaningful this work can be, especially when done with intention and compassion. The course gave me clarity and confidence in my professional direction, and it reinforced my desire to be part of improving health care systems in practical, sustainable ways.

Can you share your experience as an international student in the MHA program?

As an international student, the MHA program has played a huge role in helping me grow both professionally and personally. It has prepared me to become a health care leader by teaching me how to think strategically, work collaboratively, and make informed decisions in a new health care system and culture. Through case studies, group projects, and applied coursework, I’ve learned how to evaluate health care processes, manage resources, and approach challenges with both structure and empathy. The program has also strengthened my communication skills and given me the confidence to navigate complex health care settings.

What part of the MHA program has been the most important?

Beyond academics, the program has helped me connect my passion for helping others with practical leadership skills, reinforcing my desire to help health care systems become more efficient and compassionate. I now feel prepared to support operational improvements, advocate for patients, and be part of building stronger health care organizations. The MHA program gave me more than academic preparation; it gave me the confidence and tools to step into my future as a health care leader.

What are your plans upon completing your MHA degree?

I’m graduating from the MHA program in June 2026. I hope to work in an operations role within a health system. I want to improve processes, particularly how care is delivered to patients. The patient experience can be confusing and difficult, and I want to address operational challenges to make it easier for them.

Cat Zhang-Larson

Cat Zhang-Larson is a first-year student in the Master of Science in Biomedical Data Science and AI (MDSAI) program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

In this Q&A, she explains how Mount Sinai’s investment in AI and data science inspired her to apply, and how the mentorship and resources at Mount Sinai are enabling her to pursue her clinical career goals.

What is your academic and career background?

I am a recent graduate of the University of Michigan (Class of 2025), where I completed dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science Engineering on a pre-medical track. As I progressed through my coursework and research, I found myself drawn to applying computational methods to clinically relevant problems, particularly in medical imaging. These experiences ultimately led to my current interests in surgical robotics and in integrating pre- and post-operative imaging to improve surgical outcomes.

What first attracted you to this field?

I developed a strong interest in coding and working with clinical data during my undergraduate coursework. At the same time, I started to notice how much untapped potential exists in clinical data. There is an overwhelming amount of patient information—electronic health records, imaging, and biosignals—but limited translation into meaningful, clinically actionable insights. This realization drew me toward machine learning and AI in medicine, where I became interested in applying data-driven approaches to support clinical decision-making. More recently, my interests have centered on surgical robotics, where I can integrate imaging and predictive modeling to guide procedures and improve patient outcomes.

Why did you choose to study at Mount Sinai?

As a native New Yorker, I was initially drawn to Mount Sinai because of its proximity to home, but I quickly came to appreciate both the institution’s guiding principles and the structure of the MDSAI program. I was interested in joining an institution actively investing in AI and data science, and Mount Sinai has demonstrated a clear commitment to this vision. I was also particularly drawn to this program’s flexibility, which allows students to pursue a wide range of research and professional directions. This structure fosters a diverse cohort, with students pursuing paths in industry, PhD programs, and medicine, and it has also broadened my perspective on how AI and data science can be applied across disciplines.

Who are your mentors, and what is the focus of your research?

My primary mentor is Xueyan Mei, PhD, and my research focuses on developing imaging-based machine learning models to improve patient outcomes. I have worked with large-scale imaging datasets, including RadImageNet—a dataset of over 5 million labeled images spanning PET, CT, ultrasound, and MRI—to build predictive and classification models that help clinicians better anticipate patient outcomes.

My personal research interests build on this foundation but are more focused, combining my engineering background with machine learning and medical imaging. Specifically, I am interested in surgical robotics, with the goal of developing models that enhance clinicians’ understanding and trust of robotic-assisted procedures. I am currently working on a project that analyzes arthroscopic video data to improve patient recovery time and procedural accuracy. Additionally, one idea I am exploring for my MDSAI capstone is a machine learning model that uses preoperative imaging to generate 3D anatomical reconstructions and guide robotic procedures. This direction was inspired by prior research on models that guide pedicle screw placement by generating 3D renderings of the spine from preoperative scans to improve alignment and accuracy.

What has been your greatest accomplishment in the program so far?

I think my greatest accomplishment in the program so far has been taking advantage of everything Mount Sinai has to offer outside the classroom. In addition to my coursework and research, I volunteer with the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership and serve as the Master’s Year 1 Representative-at-Large on the Student Council. These experiences have allowed me to build meaningful relationships across the Mount Sinai community and have enriched my growth in the program beyond academics.

How have the resources at Mount Sinai contributed to your success in the program?

Access to both academic and clinical resources has played a significant role in my success. I feel confident navigating my coursework and research because my mentors and program leadership are consistently accessible and supportive. In addition, being part of a hospital-centered institution allows me to directly observe the clinical context behind my work. For example, in preparation for an upcoming study in orthopedics, I observed multiple knee arthroscopy procedures in the operating room, standing alongside surgeons and closely following intraoperative workflows. This direct exposure gave me a clearer, more grounded understanding of how imaging data is generated and how my research can be applied in practice.

What are your plans after you complete your MDSAI degree?

After completing my MDSAI degree, I plan to attend medical school. This program has given me the opportunity to further my academic, research, and clinical work in ways that are closely aligned with my long-term goals. Through this work, I have become increasingly motivated to pursue a career where I can directly contribute to patient care while also advancing the tools that support it. Moving forward, I hope to carry my background in AI and machine learning into my medical training, with a focus on surgical innovation. I am especially interested in continuing to explore how data-driven models and imaging technologies can enhance surgical robotics by improving procedural accuracy and making care more precise, personalized, and accessible for patients.

Ben Fox, MS

Ben Fox, MS, is a fourth-year student in the PhD Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is in the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies (AIET) training area.

In this Q&A, he discusses how Mount Sinai’s access to data and clinicians enabled his research with signal data from sleep studies and the ICU to forecast risk for future disease.

What is your education and career background?

My research journey began while studying physics at Pepperdine University, where I investigated geophysical phenomenon manifesting in the aurora borealis measured from observatories in Svalbard, Norway. This introduced me to research, allowed me to attend my first conferences, and travel throughout Norway to collect data.

Shortly after, I began working with Sarah Faubel, MD, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado, for a summer research internship, where I was first introduced to AI and machine learning to interpret metabolomics data from different organs in mice with acute kidney injury. This resulted in my first, “first author” publication and the thesis of my masters project at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where I studied computer science.

Following graduating from UCSB, I switched from studying omics and joined Evidation Health where I worked for three years as a data scientist building new health metrics from consumer wearables (such Fitbit, Garmin, Oura) and analyzing sleep and activity data for new drug clinical trials. My work at Evidation inspired me to pursue a PhD in the AIET program at Mount Sinai to continue my work in AI, signal data, and wearable devices.

“I knew that I needed to work in the health care space, and I was particularly drawn to Mount Sinai being primarily a hospital, with access to health data, high-performance computing, clinicians, and other experts to drive research.”

Why continue your education with a PhD in Biomedical Sciences?

I wanted to continue my education to become an expert in my field and open doors to teach and become an independent researcher in my future career. Further, I wanted to learn more about the fields I was working in (wearables/signal data/AI/omics) and find ways to contribute to bettering human health and well-being. I was inspired by my previous colleagues (who had PhDs) and their ability to drive new research projects, teach complex topics, and help others. Lastly, I knew that I wanted to work in health and given that the PhD in Biomedical Sciences is physically located at a hospital, I knew it was a near perfect match.

 Why did you choose to study at Mount Sinai?

I knew that I needed to work in the health care space, and I was particularly drawn to Mount Sinai being primarily a hospital, with access to health data, high-performance computing, clinicians, and other experts to drive research. While interviewing for schools, it was noticeable how happy the students at Mount Sinai seemed compared to other schools. Also, I wanted to move to New York City. I am originally from Colorado, studied in California, and was excited to live in New York for a few years.

What made you interested in the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies training area?

The AIET training area did feel like a perfect fit for me, given my background in health and computer science/machine learning research. Beyond that, the faculty research was the main appeal. Many faculty were doing research that matched my interests. I spoke with some of them while deciding if I should come to the program, and they assured me that I could devise my own projects with wearables/signal data and work across a multitude of different health domains. At some other programs, I did not envision getting the same support, nor having the access to data or clinicians that have been essential to my research.

Who are your mentors, and what is the focus of your research?

My mentors are Girish Nadkarni and Ankit Parekh. My research uses AI-derived representations of signal data, from sleep studies and bedside monitoring data in the ICU, to estimate risk. Signal data is routinely collected in the sleep clinic, at home, and via wearable devices. However, links between that signal data and disease risk has not been established. My work aims to utilize this signal data from sleep studies to assess risk for future disease and from ICU bedside devices to better monitor patients in real-time.

How have the resources at Mount Sinai contributed to your success in the program?

The resources at Mount Sinai have substantially contributed to my success. Specifically, the high-performance computing team and the Minerva supercomputer have made building scale AI models doable. Additionally, the data access and faculty connections have enabled more efficient data acquisition for developing my work. Clinician connections, internal Mount Sinai conferences, and the TL1 predoctoral fellowship have also allowed me to continue to learn about the medical domains I study and continue to get feedback on my work from a multitude of perspectives. Outside of research, the Mount Sinai climbing club and running club have helped me through the ups and downs of the program and meet some of my closest friends.

What are your plans after you complete your PhD?

After I finish my PhD, I plan to do a postdoc at Mount Sinai and switch projects to more wearable focused research, potentially alongside omics data. After that, I hope to eventually secure a faculty position at a university where I can teach and build my own research projects.