Angie V Ramirez Jimenez, MSBDS
When Angie V Ramirez Jimenez entered the Master of Science in Biomedical Data Science (MSBDS) program at Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, she had a long-time fascination with the potential of data science to unlock insights into complex biological systems. Now, as a new graduate, she discusses how working with top neurologists and data scientists has inspired her to further her career.
How did you become interested in biomedical data science?
The intersection of biology and technology—and its potential to revolutionize scientific research—always fascinated me, and this sparked my interest in this field. Fundamentally, I was inspired by the ability of data science to unlock insights from various biological datasets, leading to a deeper understanding of complex biological systems. The prospect of using data to drive advances in precision medicine to ultimately improve patient outcomes motivated me to pursue a career in Biomedical Data Science.
Why Mount Sinai?
After completing my undergraduate degree, I came here to work as a research associate in the lab of two outstanding neurologists, Michelle E. Ehrlich, MD, and Samuel E. Gandy, MD, PhD. There, I had the opportunity to work on various projects that investigate the mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, dystonia, and Huntington’s disease, and learn about all of the research opportunities that were available at Mount Sinai.
The chance to learn from professors at the forefront of biomedical research made it the ideal place for me to expand my knowledge and skills. Through our collaboration with the Shen lab, I met Li Shen, PhD, the co-director of the Master of Science in Biomedical Data Science program at the time. My contributions to projects during my time in the lab led to co-authorship on several publications (PMID(s): 38459557, 37424750, 36448627).
What were some of your achievements as a master’s student?
I trained and worked in the Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing (BiNGS) core at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, where I was able to contribute to various projects, which included assessing the effectiveness of a novel keratinocyte differentiation protocol on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), as well as investigating the impact of different extracellular matrix (ECM) environments on cancer cell dormancy. For my capstone project, I analyzed RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and CUT&RUN data to dissect the epigenetic and transcriptional landscapes of hepatocellular carcinoma models—it’s novel work that will be part of a future paper.
What other activities contributed to your success?
My involvement in research projects outside the classroom have been pivotal to my success. As an undergrad, I went on a research trip to Costa Rica to investigate the resilience of microbial communities in Costa Rica’s rainforests post-hurricane. This was the first time I was part of real-world scientific research, and I was immersed in a side of research that I had not seen in the classroom—large-scale data analysis and how powerful it can be in understanding complex biological interactions.
That experience helped me realize this was what I wanted to pursue. Once I started working in the Ehrlich/Gandy lab, I was able to further explore my interest in bioinformatics and learn alongside great postdocs who mentored me on how to do various types of analysis. I’ve also worked at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ, where I taught children how to do different lab experiences. I think working with these young students really taught me how to not make assumptions about how much people may know about a topic, which really helps me when trying to teach others.
I also learned that everyone has the power to make an impact on others, even when we may not realize it. I think that just being open minded and not closing yourself off to opportunities, even when they seem very daunting or even insignificant, is really what helps you learn and grow. Sometimes opportunities arise from the most unexpected places, but you will never find them if you don’t put yourself out there.
What’s next?
I plan to continue in the field of Biomedical Data Science. I would like to help make a positive impact in the biomedical field, and to be a part of the discoveries that will have the potential to prevent the loss of our loved ones to diseases such as cancer. That is my ultimate goal.