Kiran Nagdeo, BDS

After eight years of experience in dentistry, Kiran Nagdeo, BDS, realized she could have a greater impact on patient care if she pivoted toward a career in public health. In the following Q&A, Dr. Nagdeo, who received a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Global Health (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) from Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, reveals how she is gaining the skills and experiences she will need to make a transformative difference in health care.

Why an MPH?

I began my career as a clinically oriented dentist in India, finding fulfillment in my work. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic served as a pivotal moment for me. During this challenging time, I came to appreciate the need for broader, more impactful interventions beyond the confines of individual patient care. While my focus had always been one-on-one relationships with patients, I realized there was the potential, with the right resources, to make a difference on a larger scale. This made me pivot toward a career in public health.

Even with this shift, I still have a passion for dentistry and oral health, and I actively seek out avenues to stay engaged in this field. However, I have observed a notable lack of emphasis on oral health within the public health sector, with only a select few professionals—often with dental backgrounds—contributing to dental public health initiatives. My goal is to bridge the gap between oral health and public health, particularly by advancing maternal and child health initiatives.

How Did You Excel at Mount Sinai?

I had many milestones, which include authoring two full-text publications. My first-ever publication was in collaboration with the World Federation of Public Health Associations for creating a protocol for a scoping review on maternal tobacco cessation and prevention, focusing specifically on international and national frameworks, guidelines, recommendations, and strategies. The second publication explored the association between prenatal metal exposures, childhood gut microbial signatures, and depression score in late childhood from the PROGRESS cohort. Several more are currently under review, and I have additional works in progress.

I also attended six conferences, where I gave more than a dozen presentations, and participated in a global health summer research program offered by Mount Sinai, which involved shadowing both dental and medical complex care services teams at Rikers Island. I also took part in community-based participatory research under Luz Guel, Director of Community Engagement and Environmental Justice at the Center on Health and Environment Across the LifeSpan in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tackling air pollution, odor, and dust problems faced by New York City residents. I was recognized with four awards for my contributions and inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society.

Within the realm of research, I am ever so grateful to have contributed to the Microbial Exposomics lab under the leadership of Vishal Midya, PhD, a biostatistician and environment epidemiologist in the Environmental Medicine and Climate Science Department at Icahn Mount Sinai, and Shoshannah Eggers, PhD, in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Iowa, where I continue to learn the intricacies of research.

In addition to my academic pursuits, I remain actively involved with the World Federation of Public Health Associations, where I credit all my achievements to Hyewon Lee, DMD, MPH, DrPH, Chair of the Oral Health Workgroup (OHWG). Dr. Lee has not only mentored and supported my professional development but has also invested in my personal growth. I hold the position of Vice Chair within the OHWG, working closely under Dr. Lee’s guidance and leadership.

What Are You Doing Now?

I am a PhD student in the Epidemiology program at the New York University (NYU) School of Global Public Health under the esteemed mentorship of Andrea Deierlein, PhD, MPH. This opportunity allows me to further my passion for oral health through collaboration with Fernando Hugo, DDS,  MSc, PhD, Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion at NYU School of Dentistry. I am also very excited and grateful to embark on my first project as a PhD student under the mentorship of the world renowned, Habib Benzian, DDS, MScDPH, PhD, Co-Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Quality-Improvement and Evidence-Based Dentistry, NYU Dentistry, and someone who continues to inspire me with his significant contributions to the field of global oral health.

How Are These Experiences Helping Shape Your New Career Goals?

My path has been one of continuous growth and dedication, and I am committed to advancing the integration of oral health into public health frameworks. With the skills and experiences I gained through my MPH degree, and all the new experiences I am having in my PhD studies, I know I will have the capability to drive impactful health initiatives that will ultimately improve maternal and child oral health outcomes on a global scale.

Daniel Caughey, MHA

After earning his MHA degree from Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Daniel Caughey is prepared for the next step—a Project Management Professional certification.

What attracted you to this area of study?

I have always had a passion for helping others and feel as though good health is something people too often take for granted (myself included), which led to my decision to become a Health Policy and Management major at Providence College.

This passion grew in my experiences working at Boston Children’s Hospital in the Emergency Department and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and now at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai’s Department of Microbiology. I have been fortunate to have had some great mentors working for two leading U.S. institutions, which has reinforced my motivation for pursuing an MHA.

Describe your current job and how an MHA can help your career?

I am an Administrative Coordinator in the Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness (C-VaRPP) in the Department of Microbiology at Icahn Mount Sinai. My primary responsibility is to alleviate some of the administrative burden from the esteemed Directors of the Center, Viviana Simon, MD, PhD, and Florian Krammer, PhD, each a Professor of Microbiology, so they can focus more of their attention on their groundbreaking research. They are tremendous mentors not only to me, but to so many scientists who have worked in their labs, and I consider it an honor to contribute to their work. They encouraged me to pursue my academic goals of attaining an MHA, which has provided me with the knowledge to help grow the Center and advance my career.

What, specifically, are the strong points of the MHA program?

I was looking for a program that would offer the skills needed to succeed as a leader in the health care field, and that is exactly what I found in this program. The MHA offers a diverse curriculum with courses such as Strategic Planning, Finance, Marketing, and Population Health, to name a few.

I remember when I arrived at orientation, Herb Lopez, the Administrative Program Manager for MHA, made me feel very welcomed and served as a great resource whenever I had questions related to the program. The faculty also commonly hold leadership positions within the Mount Sinai Health System and beyond, so it was great to network with and receive an education from the experts currently in the field. It also exposed me to the growing field of Project Management, which is something I plan to pursue after graduation.

What’s next?

I plan to grow in my current role and attain a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in the near future. The MHA program did a great job of introducing and preparing students to pursue a PMP alongside their MHA credential. Project Management is a growing field that can be very beneficial for leaders in all areas of health care leadership on the research and even the clinical side, if I ever decide to go back in that direction. This program has prepared me well for both paths, and I am very thankful for the new opportunities it will provide me.

Kate Jankowski, MSBS

Kate Jankowski, who received her Master of Science in Biomedical Science (MSBS) degree in 2024 from Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, says Mount Sinai offered a vast number of labs, varying types of experiences, a great emphasis on science, and the ability to share ideas with others.

In the following Q&A, Ms. Jankowski discusses her many achievements and the strengths of the program as she pursues a career in science and medicine.

What is your academic background?

I majored in Biochemistry at Hamilton College in Upstate New York and graduated in 2022. After a spring semester of remote classes during sophomore year and a hybrid junior year during the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked in a lab my senior year to complete my thesis. I grew to love research and knew that I wanted to remain in school because I love the academic atmosphere and being able to learn.

I also knew I wanted to attend medical school, but I wanted to get some research and clinical experience before applying. That’s when I began to look for master’s programs that had a research focus. I became incredibly interested in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where I could get the best of both worlds: conducting research of my own while also taking classes and learning about science in a clinical capacity.

What first attracted you to this area of study?  

My first real exposure to research occurred during a summer fellowship after my junior year at a medical institute in Utica, New York, where I worked in a chemistry lab. I learned so much about myself and how I wanted to approach science and medicine. However, after my senior year thesis research, which involved working in a biology/biochemistry lab, I really wanted to shift my focus to biomedical science research. I like being able to apply clinical knowledge to my work in the lab and being able to simultaneously take classes on topics that aided my research and provided a greater holistic understanding.

Who were your mentors, what research did you contribute to, and did you publish any work?

I started working in the lab of Lahouaria Hadri, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacological Sciences, and Medicine (Cardiology). My current research project is focused on analyzing specific proteins’ roles in cardiopulmonary diseases and using drug-targeted and gene therapies to help design innovative therapeutic strategies.

In 2023, I authored and published a review regarding a key cancer epigenetic regulator that has implications for pulmonary arterial hypertension. We are also in the process of submitting a new manuscript for publication, and I’m very excited to continue that work.

Additionally, when I started working in the Hadri Lab, I trained with a collaborator, Irene Turnbull, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Icahn Mount Sinai. The Turnbull Lab focuses on refining human models of the myocardium and applying tissue-engineering technologies. With this training and frequent assistance in the lab, I was able to co-author a paper on single-cell analysis of contractile forces in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. I have also been lucky enough to present our work at multiple conferences, including Mount Sinai’s Annual https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/bmeii Symposium, and the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute Annual Congress in London.

Why Mount Sinai—and what, specifically, are the strong points of the MSBS program?

When I first visited Mount Sinai, I was struck by the beautiful sense of community and the amazing people I got to interact with. Since then, that sense of community has only grown stronger, because every day I meet people who love the work they do and who want others around them to succeed.

The support I’ve felt as a student here is unparalleled, and I really do come to Mount Sinai each day with a smile on my face. I’m also part of a few campus groups, giving me opportunities to interact with students, faculty, patients, and others on a regular basis, which amplifies that sense of community. But fundamentally, I can’t forget the incredible research exposure this program provides, which is the reason I came here. The vast number of labs, the varying types of experiences, the great emphasis on science, and the ability to share ideas with others is paramount here.

What’s next?

I’ll be continuing my work in the Hadri Lab this upcoming year as an associate researcher because there are just a few more questions that I want to answer before I leave. In the meantime, I am also applying to medical school—I want to help people and take what I learned from the bench and bring it to the bedside. I’m excited about seeing where I end up.

Allenie Andrea Arnedo, MPH

As an international student, Allenie Andrea Arnedo had become familiar with many health systems around the world, including those in Thailand, the Philippines, and the United States. This led to an interest in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and she decided to get an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Data Analytics. Several years later, she would enroll in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where, for her applied practicum experience, she had the opportunity to become a Global Health Fellow.

In June 2024, Ms. Arnedo received an MPH degree in Global Health. In the following Q&A, she reveals how her experience at Mount Sinai is helping to shape her career.

Why an MPH? 

When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, it shed light on systemic barriers for equitable vaccine access. As I saw family and friends had difficulty obtaining vaccines across Asia, I felt a strong desire to understand and uncover the underlying reasons why. My interests in universal health coverage and access to medicines drew me to the field of public health.

Being named a Global Health Fellow sounds exciting. What did that involve?

This was an opportunity provided to us through the Global Health Summer program at Icahn Mount Sinai. For my placement, I assisted with a grant proposal at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, which is part of the nation’s largest municipal health care delivery system. With my mentor, Carlos Salama, MD, Professor of Medicine, and the Immigrant Health Working Group, the grant was successfully awarded. This experience exposed me to stakeholder engagement with community-based organizations and advocacy groups.

What were some of your other accomplishments?

I had the honor of being inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health and receiving a commencement award for Excellence in Public Health Leadership and Service. I am so grateful to Public Health leadership, and look forward to growing more as a global health professional.

Why Mount Sinai?
When I was initially searching for public health programs, I felt drawn to the Mount Sinai’s world-class researchers, personalized mentorship, and welcoming students. The variety of tracks offered for my program was valuable for me because I was just embarking on my career path in public health.

The diversity of the student body is also one of the greatest assets of Icahn Mount Sinai as they represent a variety of interests, cultures, issues, and more. During my time at Mount Sinai, I was able to serve as a member of an E-board for the New York State Science Technology and Policy group and shadow the Mount Sinai Human Rights Program.

What’s next?

I am looking for roles in community capacity building, community health research, health policy, and health care financing. My next steps are to embrace the realm of possibilities that a public health degree has to offer across interdisciplinary sectors and fields.

I am grateful to have had my perspective on the role of policy in health systems, barriers to care, and equitable health access broadened by so many amazing faculty and mentors. They include: Dr Salama, who is also Director of Global Health at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst; Elizabeth K. Singer, MD, MPH, Director of the Mount Sinai Human Rights Program; Arthur A. Gianelli, FACHE, Chief Transformation Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System; Alexander Preker, MD, PhD, Executive Scholar at Icahn Mount Sinai; and Nils Hennig, MD, PhD, MPH, Director of the MPH program.

What are your career goals?

I want to contribute to inclusive and accessible research and facilitate community partnerships by working as a researcher or program assistant at a think tank, research institute, or human rights organization. As I progress in my career, I hope to continue to be guided by the values I hold closely to help with the expansion of health care access.

Kelsey Chandran, MPH

Kelsey Chandran helped mitigate lead exposure in vulnerable populations and identify barriers to breast cancer screening as she worked toward her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Epidemiology from Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Ms. Chandran discusses the highlights of the program and the many insights she gained in the following Q&A.

Why this area of study?

I have always had this passion for helping people and I wanted to pursue medicine for the longest time. In college, when I switched my major from Chemistry to Global Studies with a double minor in Asian Studies and Public Health, I found a field where I could integrate my need for helping people within a medical context.

I also learned more about diversity, equity, and inclusion through various extracurricular programs or in the classroom. These experiences really attracted me toward learning more about public health, and I knew it could connect me further to underserved communities that would truly feel the impact that I am trying to make.

How did you excel at Mount Sinai?

I believe the primary way I excelled was making friends with my peers in the classroom. Graduate school brings in a diverse group of people from all over the world and all walks of life—from recent graduates to work professionals to parents returning to higher education. Being able to interact with these people multiple times a week in classes or just chatting in the library or working on projects and assignments allows you to learn from their perspectives and expands your relationship with them in and out of the classroom.

I think if it weren’t for some of the people I met at Mount Sinai, I would not have learned and grown so much in my own thinking and ways to pursue passions, interests, and future professional goals.

I was one of the students seeking Council on Education for Public Health accreditation and a teaching assistant for the Introduction to Socio-behavioral Health course with Maya Rom Korin, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

I was also a graduate researcher in two projects.

My first role was to create informational materials for families based on an analysis on their child’s teeth to see how much lead they were exposed to before and after birth. Working with my preceptor Sarah F. Evans, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science at Icahn Mount Sinai, these materials are teaching these families about lead exposure, providing them with ways and resources to mitigate further exposure.

My second role was to identify barriers for breast cancer screening in African American/Black women in New York City through a culturally tailored health navigation program created by my advisor, Lina Jandorf, MA, Director of Cancer Community Outreach in the Department of Oncological Sciences at The Tisch Cancer Institute. This research has really been an eye-opening experience in understanding health disparities among this group and being able to intimately interact and empower these women to take autonomy of their own health in reducing their risk of breast cancer.

These hands-on experiences have taught me more about New York City and its diverse populations than I would gained had I not been in the MPH program at Mount Sinai. Because of these projects, I have deepened my love and passion for patient education and community engagement and hope to continue similar work as a physician in the future.

Why Mount Sinai—and what, specifically, are the strong points of the program?

My first introduction to Mount Sinai was from my cousin, Sangeetha Chandramohan, who graduated from Icahn Mount Sinai’s MPH program in 2016. She became so successful after graduating and inspired me to pursue my MPH here as well. After doing my own research on Mount Sinai’s program and attending the institution, I think Mount Sinai does a great job on cultivating community. The diverse group of students within a class, combined with the emphasized focus on collaboration, allows for a range of thoughts, perspectives, and vulnerable discussions that really touch on the main pillars of public health to enact change.

What’s next?

I will be returning to my home state of Florida and be attending Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in Melbourne. I could not have achieved this lifelong goal without the professors, mentors, or friends I met at Mount Sinai who have championed me along the way from day one.