Current role and location: MPH in Health Policy candidate at the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health; Congressional intern for Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Undergraduate college: Colgate University
Undergraduate major: Neuroscience, Philosophy
How did you know that you wanted to go to grad school? Was it something you have always known or was there a specific thing that you learned that sparked your interest? I began at the NIH planning on going to graduate school to get my PhD in Neuroscience. My plan was to get my degree and go to industry. About a year in, I decided that while I enjoyed my job, the lab wasn’t where I saw myself long-term. I began thinking about other options, contemplating what I aspects I loved about my current position and what I’ve done in the past that I was passionate about. I also talked to a lot of people! Scientists at the NIH, connections that I had in industry… it helped give me a sense of what options I had. I had previously worked with the Colgate Vote Project (CVP) and know I was passionate about issues such as voter reform, gun violence prevention, and equity. I also was able to take advantage of resources of the NIH and took a course in bioethics and really enjoyed learning about health equity. I found the Research-to-Policy Collaboration, now under the Research Translation Platform, and was lucky enough to be accepted as one of their interns. I worked part-time with their implementation team and worked with policymakers on Capitol Hill supporting their legislative work. I became really interested in issues related to substance use disorder, mental health, veterans’ affairs, and health equity. What I realized is that all these things are issues are public health! I started looking into public health-related jobs and realized that to do what I wanted, I needed to go back to school. [I] Started looking at MPH programs and got really excited about the coursework and what I could learn. From there it was a pretty quick transition, and now I’m here!
Why did you decide to study neuroscience in undergrad? What was your main motivation for that? I really liked science, have since I was in elementary school and went to science camp during the summer, and thought the brain was so interesting! I was particularly interested in neurodegenerative disorders because my grandma had Alzheimer’s and wanted to learn more.
What type of work do you plan to do with your graduate degree? Are there any specific areas of the public health field that especially intrigue you? I’m still deciding, but I think I’d like to end up in healthcare consulting or health policy consulting. I think there’s a lot of important and impactful work to be done for state and federal government health agencies and private providers (hospitals) to improve access and quality of care.
What is one thing you wish you had done differently to prepare for grad school as an undergrad, if anything, and why? By the end of college and into working at the NIH, I sort of developed tunnel vision in terms of career trajectory. I definitely won’t regret working at the NIH but I think it would have saved me a little worry if I had been more open to other career/grad school options earlier on. I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be though!
You completed a two-year postbac research position after graduating from college. What made you decide to do a postbac? Why did you choose two years instead of one? I really wanted to get some real-life experience in the job that I thought I wanted to pursue long-term. I would recommend it to anyone, especially if they wanted to go to grad school. Grad school is a huge commitment and something you probably shouldn’t do unless you really need/want to. But I would argue that even if you know without a doubt that grad school is for you, and type of schooling, having real-work career experience will enhance every aspect of grad school. You have a better sense of who you are and what you want to study, of how it’ll be applicable to your life, you can bring deeper perspective to your classes, and honestly, you’re usually a more appealing candidate to admissions committees. The last reason is why I chose 2 years. With applications being in towards the end of the year, if I were going to do a one-year postbac I would only be applying with 2 years of experience. My essays wouldn’t be as rich and my letter of recommendation from my PI wouldn’t have been as insightful.
What made you choose your specific lab to work in as a postbac? I really wanted to work on neurodegenerative disorders and Claire’s [my PI’s] work focused on that. Also, I interned for her the summer before and really liked the people and the culture; that made me want to come back, as well. I actually did have an offer from a PI who was just starting his lab and I decided it would be better as a postbac to join an already-established lab. There would be better opportunity to do impactful work and hit the ground running as opposed to having to help set up a lab in the beginning.
What is something you learned in your postbac that you found interesting or surprising? Effective research is a balance between exploration and intention. Sometimes by exploring different leads you can discover interesting things but if you allow yourself to go down too many tangents you can lose sight of your ultimate goal (what’s your question!?).
Was there anything you found surprising about professional research from your postbac? There’s often unfortunately a huge disconnect with researchers and decision-makers, not just in basic research but all types of research. Most papers are written and read by those in that industry. And those that cross the divide can sometimes be intimidating for those outside of research or academia because of industry-specific jargon. There needs to be more interaction between researchers and policymakers. I think there have been trends towards this (this is sort of the idea!). I’m hoping to help facilitate this process by contributing to evidence-based policy recommendations.
What do you think was the most valuable experience you had as a postbac that has helped you on your journey to study public health? Talking to people! And working with the RTP. I am so grateful to my PI for allowing me leniency to engage in these other opportunities and explore my options.
What aspect of grad school are you most looking forward to? Finally learning about things that I’m passionate about again. My courses will help me understand complex public health issues and how to address them through a lens of equity inclusion.
Is there anything you expect to find particularly challenging in grad school? If so, how do you plan to deal with that? Going back to school and re-learning how to have work-life balance has been a bit challenging. I am learning a new city, catching up with old friends and making new ones, adjusting to the coursework, starting a new part-time job, and trying to find time to do some of my favorite things like climbing and cooking.
Any advice for current undergrad students unsure if STEM research is the right path for them? Do a postbac! Or work for a year or two in the industry you’re interested in. It will help you in applications if you decide you want to go to grad school, and it will show you what you don’t want if you don’t!
Science with Mandy 
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