Jul 13, 2023 | School
Raj Vaza, who received his Master of Science in Biomedical Data Science degree at Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2023, says that Mount Sinai had much to offer him, but one top opportunity was working in the Huang Lab in Computational Omics. Under the direction of Kuan-Lin Huang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mr. Vaza worked on a capstone project that studied common and rare genetic variants to predict the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
In the following Q&A, Mr. Vaza discusses his recent achievements at Icahn Mount Sinai and his career aspirations.
What first attracted you to this area of study?
It combines my interests in human biology and computer science, and I believe having a master’s would make me a more prepared candidate for medical school. Health care will become more data-driven and personalized. For me to be an effective physician, I need to understand how massive amounts of data can improve health care. As for neurology, my grandparents had Parkinson’s disease and dementia and as a child—as early as the sixth grade—I was curious about what ailed my grandparents.
What did you find most satisfying about the work you did in Dr. Huang’s lab?
It’s very exciting to be at the forefront of Alzheimer’s research. We have all these genetic sequencing tools, and the goal of my capstone project was to see how we can take the information we already had on common genetic variants and combine it with the data we’re collecting about rare variants. We’re trying to understand the differences at the genetic level and in the future, the protein level, to enable us to predict individual risk.
Why Mount Sinai—what, specifically, are the strong points of this program?
I majored in human biology and minored in computer science, so the Biomedical Data Science program was the perfect niche for me. It enabled me to look at the intersection of computers and data science with biology and medicine. And Mount Sinai, as a massive research and health care environment, presented all kinds of resources and opportunities to explore this intersection. Mount Sinai has so many resources available for students. For example, we have our own high-performance supercomputer and a database of genetic data for 30,000 individuals.
And the classes are exceptional. The Machine Learning for Biomedical Data Science course I just finished was the most informative and tied together everything I’ve been learning throughout the years. I also thought the people I worked with during my time here were brilliant.
What particular activities interested you as a student?
I arrived on campus in 2021, and when the COVID-19 Omicron wave started a few months later, I joined the Student WorkForce [a team of medical and graduate students who took on vital non-medical roles in the Mount Sinai Health System to support physicians, staff members, researchers, and hospital operations]. I got involved in COVID-19 testing of staff. Just being part of that entire process and learning how a health system works was very insightful. It was great that Mount Sinai asked the student body to help out at a critical time, and the fact that students rose up and met those expectations was very inspiring.
I have also been involved in Story Time/Teen Talk in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit at Mount Sinai Morningside. We played games with the children and had discussions with the teens to lift their spirits during their treatment. Being a part of that gave me the idea to introduce similar programs at other hospitals.
What’s next?
I’ll be attending medical school at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. I’m keeping an open mind about my area of specialization. The field that intrigues me right now is neurology, but I don’t think I’ll actually know until I get to medical school. Whatever I decide, my goal is twofold—to help patients in the clinic and advance research.
Updated on Jul 13, 2023 | School
Justine Marcinek received her Master of Public Health degree, specializing in Environmental Health Sciences, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2023. In the following Q&A, Ms. Marcinek discusses how exciting research opportunities and strong mentorship helped her develop the skills she will need to make a mark in public health.
What first attracted you to this area of study?
As an undergraduate student at Stony Brook University, I worked at their Center for Prevention and Outreach, which provides education, prevention, and outreach services and resources around a number of public health concerns. When I talked to my mentors about their career journeys, I learned how public health research and policy influence so much of the world around us, and that intrigued me. I looked into an MPH degree as the next step in my education.
How did you decide to focus on Environmental Health?
Once I got to Mount Sinai, I took a required class in environmental health, which looks at how public health interacts with food, water quality, occupational health, and other related areas. That really interested me, so I took a class in environmental and occupational epidemiology, which combined knowledge I gained from that first class with computer programming skills that taught me how to use technical methods to evaluate environmental and occupational health. What I liked about Environmental Health was that I could see much of what I learned “in action” in the world around me. I took a toxicology class that looked at how toxins and toxicants can affect organ systems of the body. I rounded out my coursework with additional statistics and computer programming classes, so now I have working knowledge of the industry as well as technical competencies in the field.
What were some of your achievements as a master’s student?
In my first year at Mount Sinai, I was a contributing writer for The Scoop, the public health graduate program newsletter, and I became co-editor in 2023. Making that progression was very exciting and rewarding for me. It enabled me to take a leadership role and curate interesting pieces from different members of our school community, not just students.
One thing I am proud of is my culminating experience. Under the mentorship of Yueh-Hsiu Mathilda Chiu, ScD, I wrote a first-author manuscript about pregnant workers’ awareness and understanding of the New York City Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which grants pregnant workers more flexibility to obtain reasonable accommodations in the workplace. My mentor fielded a survey about that sector and, for my project, I looked at the survey data and we found that a majority of pregnant workers did not know about this policy. The more I dove into the work, the more I grew passionate about the subject. It lived up to its name as a culminating experience, because it drew from what I learned in all my classes, and applying what I learned to a real-world public health topic was really fulfilling. We’re planning to submit it to an academic journal.
For my applied practice experience fieldwork, I worked with the New York State Children’s Environmental Health Centers to research current asthma resources on Staten Island and put together a resource map. I then incorporated those organizations into pamphlets that will be made available to pediatricians and community partners throughout the borough.
What are the strong points of Mount Sinai’s MPH program?
There are so many. The professors and teaching assistants are so passionate about their work, and they make the classes very engaging. I was exposed to many guest speakers, each with their own area of expertise from different niches in public health, and it showed me how broad the field is. The support of faculty enabled me to challenge myself and develop my skills. The mentorship I gained through my culminating experience helped me become a stronger researcher. At Mount Sinai, students have access to a large network of resources at the Health System. They also offer professional development opportunities and events focused on topics that I might not have otherwise learned about.
What’s next?
My goal is to work in risk communication and health literacy, particularly as it relates to occupational health, making sure that working environments are safe and that workers can go home safely to their families. I think it’s important that scientific research outcomes are translated into actionable information that people can understand, and use, to make well-informed health decisions. Right now, I’m looking at positions in the city and state government and hospitals, including Mount Sinai.
Jul 13, 2023 | School
Erica Palladino, MPH, has held increasingly responsible positions in health communications at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after she received a Master of Public Health degree in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention track from Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2019.
In the following Q&A, Ms. Palladino discusses her passion for public health and how her work in federal government enables her to make a true impact on the health of women and children.
What is your current job?
I’m a health communications specialist at the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). I write about and promote how HRSA-funded programs improve the lives of mothers and their children.
After graduating with my MPH, I began as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellow in the Office of the Surgeon General and I then transitioned to a federal Public Health Analyst at HHS, but I knew from my time at Mount Sinai after taking some reproductive health and maternal health classes that I wanted to go in this direction.
Among my day-to-day responsibilities, I write press releases about government funding that is available and awarded to states, doctors, local health departments, and community-based organizations that help our maternal and child populations. I write speeches for HRSA leadership when they attend events about these topics, and I help create campaigns that increase awareness and highlight the work of those who have received our funding.
A very important part of what we do is use plain language to effectively communicate our programs and health impact. We discuss prevention, promote healthy behavior modifications, and provide resources available to moms. Resources include the maternal mental health hotline that allows pregnant or postpartum moms who are experiencing mental health challenges to talk to counselors and get support, so they don’t feel like they’re alone.
Far too many women die or experience life-threatening pregnancy-related complications in this country. But we also know that 80 percent of these pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. The federal government is helping in whatever ways we can. Specifically, at HRSA, we support community-based programs with a focus on increasing access to care, strengthening the maternal health workforce, and improving the quality of care especially for those who are geographically isolated, and economically, or medically vulnerable.
I love this position because it gives me the opportunity to show people that the federal funding truly impacts the communities that need it the most.
Why a master’s degree?
Public health is a very broad field, which may seem overwhelming at first, but you can do so many different things with it. So, for me, the best part of Mount Sinai was learning about my professors’ backgrounds and seeing what career options were out there. They would say, “When I was at the CDC, this is what I did,” or, “I was a contractor for the health department, and this is how I got there.” I think the stories and experiences that professors shared were helpful in influencing my journey.
I didn’t even realize I had any interest in maternal health until I took the Health Promotion Strategies class. The professor there connected me with my Applied Practice Experience advisor at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Bureau of Maternal, Infant, and Reproductive Health. I’m thankful to Mount Sinai for highlighting the importance of health literacy within maternal health and making me realize that this is one of those areas where we can really make a difference.
What are your next career goals?
I see myself staying at HRSA MCHB for now because I love my coworkers and my job. A great aspect of working for the federal government is that you can easily transfer to other agencies so, down the line, I could go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Institutes of Health, or I could work for the Secretary of Health at HHS. I’m very happy that I’m in a role where I feel fulfilled and where everyone around me is so passionate about what they do.
Any advice for students?
I recommend that students—and graduates—maintain relationships with their professors and reach out to department administrators to put them in touch with alumni. These people are very well-connected and can be very helpful when looking for a job or career advice.
Mount Sinai was a great resource for internships and fellowships, and I highly recommend that students take advantage of those while pursuing their degree and after graduation. I was working full time as a pharmaceutical copywriter while getting my MPH, so I was nervous to take a fellowship after graduation. But, as an ORISE fellow, I was able to learn from a variety of leaders within HHS and home in on certain subjects. As a fellow, I attended numerous events and traveled with the Surgeon General. I got to do a lot of things that I wouldn’t have done if I had been a full-time federal employee. I’m very thankful that Mount Sinai pushed those fellowship opportunities to the graduates.
Jul 13, 2023 | School
Denise Iliff received her Master of Science degree in Biomedical Science with a concentration in Systems Biology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2023. Under the mentorship of James Iatridis, PhD, Ms. Iliff conducted award-winning research in his Spine and Bioengineering Lab on spinal injuries and chronic pain. Dr. Iatridis is the Mount Sinai Endowed Chair in Orthopedic Research, Vice Chair for Research, and Director of Spine Research in the Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopedics at Icahn Mount Sinai.
In the following Q&A, Ms. Iliff discusses her experience at Icahn Mount Sinai and her career aspirations.
Why this area of study?
I graduated from the University of Kansas during COVID-19. My plan was to go to medical school, but I didn’t feel I was fully prepared. I wanted to find a job, and everything was super crazy, but I found a position in a lab at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Medical Campus. I had never had a research job, so I thought I would try it out, and I fell in love with it. I realized this would be a really good and logical next step for me, so I started exploring master’s programs in biomedical sciences that involved research. I was super excited to come to Icahn Mount Sinai because I could learn more about biology in the medical sense, while also doing research.
What were some of your achievements as a master’s student?
I was fortunate to work on two very interesting projects at the Iatridis Spine Bioengineering Lab and to present our findings at conferences. My work focuses on utilizing in vivo rat models to investigate how injuries to the intervertebral disc and endplates progress to spinal cord sensitization and chronic pain. The goal is to gain greater understanding of painful degenerative disc disease. For my thesis, I was given the incredible opportunity to create a project from beginning to end, all the prep work and everything up through defending the research. It has been an amazing experience.
I also had the opportunity to attend conferences, which is a great honor but, more importantly, I learned so much about how to network with scientists from many different backgrounds and how to present and speak to doctors and PhDs about my work and answer questions. I recently presented a talk at the the annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society in Dallas, where I received the Best Podium award for spine section research. At the Philadelphia Spine Research Symposium, I presented a poster and received the Best Poster Award for outstanding scientific research in the pain, pathobiology, and crosstalk category. It’s all super exciting stuff, all thanks to the opportunities I had with Dr. Iatridis.
What are the strong points of this program?
Mount Sinai is such a strong research institution, which was very important to me. The diversity of labs is really what attracted me. Also, Mount Sinai has an incredible array of faculty from virtually all areas of science that a student would want to pursue.
As I read up on the program, I realized that there was a strong sense of community. I was one of the directors of the Master of Biomedical Science mentorship program, where second-year students mentor the first-years. That was a very important program for me when I came here because I was moving from Kansas to New York just as things were starting to open up again after COVID-19. Of course, the administration looks out for us, but students can offer other students a different perspective on the ins and outs. It’s an incredible program that helps orient students from undergrad or wherever they’re at in life to grad school. This program is a really good part of Mount Sinai.
What’s next?
I’m going to continue my research in the Iatridis Spine Lab as a research assistant because I still have more questions I want to answer in my project. After that, I’ll apply to physician assistant (PA) school. I enjoy patient-facing work and I think becoming a PA in a surgical specialty would be a good fit for me.
Jul 13, 2023 | School
After entering the MHA program at Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2021, Daniel Han accepted a position as Assistant Project Manager in the Department of Dermatology Clinical Trials Office at the Mount Sinai Doctors faculty practice, where he continues to work after completing the program in 2023.
In the following Q&A, Mr. Han discusses how he expects his degree to lay the foundation for a career in health administration.
Can you describe your current job?
I am responsible for coordinating and managing various aspects of clinical research projects in our department. This includes protocol development, regulatory compliance, patient recruitment, and coordination with the leadership teams. This job has given me valuable experience in project management and data analysis, and it has allowed me to collaborate with colleagues throughout the Mount Sinai Health System.
What first attracted you to this field of study?
I am passionate about health care management, and I want to develop a deeper understanding of how the health care sector operates and acquire the specialized skills, including leadership skills, to enable me to address the challenges and emerging trends in the industry. I want to make a difference, not only in the lives of patients, but also in the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality of patient care achieved in hospitals and health care systems.
How, specifically, does this program prepare students for a career in health care management?
This program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to health care administration and offers a wide range of courses including finance, management, policy, and information technology. The health informatics and technology courses have sparked my interest in finding opportunities to improve the efficiency and accuracy of electronic health record data mining for patient recruitment in clinical trials. One of the things I appreciated most was the opportunity to gain insight from the executive leaders at Mount Sinai who are experts in their fields. I believe that the skills and knowledge I have gained through this program’s curriculum will not only benefit me in my current project manager role but also help me achieve my long-term career goals in health care administration.
One of the things I find appealing about Mount Sinai is the institution’s overall commitment to advancing patient care and driving medical advances, which aligns with my own goals. Mount Sinai fosters a collaborative environment that encourages an exchange of ideas and promotes a holistic approach to health care. And I believe in their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
What’s next?
I see myself using the tools that I learned—and practiced—during my graduate studies to help me gain a leadership position within a health care organization, preferably at Mount Sinai. I have had the opportunity to learn from senior- and executive-level professionals already established in their fields, and I plan to build on that strong foundation to advance to high-level managerial or executive positions, which is my career goal. Ultimately, I want to make a meaningful impact on patient outcomes and the overall delivery of health care services.
Jul 13, 2023 | School
As a first-generation American born to South Asian immigrants in a working-class neighborhood in Queens, New York, Adina Singh knew that many in her community were in poor health. It wasn’t until her sophomore year at Hunter College that she realized that many immigrants, especially older people, do not have the same access to health care as others. That’s when she knew she wanted to work toward a solution, which led her to pursue an MPH in Health Care Management at Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
In the following Q&A, Ms. Singh discusses how her experience at Icahn Mount Sinai prepared her for addressing health care gaps among New Yorkers.
Why an MPH degree?
Living in an immigrant community, I see the health struggles this population goes through, especially our parents and grandparents. They don’t know how to access health care and have not been educated on the importance of going to their doctor’s visits, following up, and doing the things necessary to stay healthy. As a result, they may develop chronic illnesses like diabetes, which affect their quality of life and can become life-threatening. Once I realized the health disparities among New Yorkers, particularly for minorities and immigrants, I knew I wanted to be part of the solution. That’s why I chose public health. By focusing specifically on health care management, I will be able to initiate and implement programs that people can access and also learn how to practice self-advocacy confidently when seeking care.
What were your top achievements as a master’s student?
For my applied practice experience fieldwork, I focused on addressing food insecurity in the neighborhoods surrounding Mount Sinai, including Harlem. I worked with Mount Sinai’s KidsThrive program, which predominantly serves children on public insurance and screens for food insecurity, offers emergency food packages from our onsite food pantry to families in need, and refers them to community-based organizations at the Mount Sinai Pediatric Associates clinic. After seeing their pediatrician, families can go down the hall to the food pantry for an emergency food package. It helps sustain them while we refer them to a long-term program through New York Common Pantry [New York City’s largest community-based food pantry that focuses on underserved communities] for food-related services. There, they receive food packages on a regular basis, among other food-related services.
Through KidsThrive, we went beyond sustenance to focus on the quality of the food packages and their appropriateness for each family. We created recipes that suited each family’s needs, taking into account preparation time, new cuisines they were interested in trying, and more. Additionally, we created a value-based payment proposal for a Medicaid insurance plan that would identify how to measure and track the impact of food insecurity interventions in our pediatric clinic population.
What are the strong points of this master’s program?
Mount Sinai is amazing and what stands out for me is the phenomenal faculty. They’re all busy in the field of public health—as doctors or program coordinators, even as the president of a hospital—and yet they all contribute to the work that students are doing and support us so that we, too, can contribute one day.
They are very approachable. If a student asks for input on a project or career advice, faculty will help. They support you as a person and as a young professional. Our faculty and administration are role models and show us that there are folks who want to leave our community better than they found it. They truly care about their students, even after they graduate. Some graduates come back as course instructors or program managers, and I think that speaks volumes, that folks want to come back to Mount Sinai, which has given them so much.
What’s next?
I want to contribute to the work that’s already being done in New York to promote health literacy and self-management of chronic health diseases within minority populations in New York City. Eventually, I want to add clinical understanding and advocacy to my toolbox by becoming a physician to bridge this gap. I want to look at my patients holistically and not just treat their symptoms, but also look for the root causes. If a child has asthma, you can give them an inhaler. But if there’s mold in the house, or leaking pipes that cause the paint to chip in the walls, you can give them that inhaler, but the root of the problem is not solved. I want to be part of a team that will address these issues.
