One of Women’s Health Research at Yale’s major initiatives is to mentor the next generation of health care professionals and researchers about the value of studying the influence of sex on health and disease as well as ensuring that findings are translated into clinical care.
Our program of teaching and mentoring Yale undergraduates – the Women’s Health Research at Yale Undergraduate Fellowship, now in its 10th year – provides students with the opportunity to be taught about women’s health research and to work directly with Yale faculty and staff over the course of an academic year. Their mentored experience can range from working collaboratively on a project in a Yale research laboratory or clinical setting or shadowing a physician to learn about the daily experience of a career in medicine, to learning about how to translate science into understandable terms for writing about research.
Associate Director of Medical Education in Women’s Health at Women’s Health Research at Yale Kelsey Martin, MD, assistant professor of medicine (hematology), leads the program alongside Carolyn M. Mazure, PhD, Norma Weinberg Spungen and Joan Lebson Bildner Professor of Women’s Health Research, professor of psychiatry and psychology, and Director of Women’s Health Research at Yale.
Martin reflects, “Mentorship is symbiotic in the sense that we learn so much from each other. Looking inward at your own path while sharing your journey with others, particularly undergraduates, is extremely rewarding and has a lasting positive effect on one’s career. The Undergraduate Fellowship generates a legacy of mentorship – former Fellow Haleigh Larson (’18) is actively helping mentor current Fellow Aeka Guru (’25), and we all benefit from the sustained mentorship of Dr. Mazure.”
Kayla Yup & Caroline Johnson, PhD
“The best part of doing research as an undergraduate is getting to dive deeper into topics that aren’t typically explored in classes, especially as these topics relate to women’s health. I am grateful to my mentors, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Domenica Berardi, for their dedication to teaching me new concepts – whether through training in the lab or by assigning relevant literature to read. It’s also really inspiring to witness their excitement and creativity when talking through experiments.” – Kayla Yup (’25)
“Kayla is contributing to our understanding of the sex-specific effects of harmful environmental chemicals on individuals with cancer, therefore her work will have a direct impact on understanding factors that could affect cancer outcomes. She is highly motivated to learn more about this area of research and new lab skills as well as deepening her knowledge through literature searches. Mentorship is very important to me. It of course includes providing technical scientific knowledge but also provides a supportive space and culture to learn how to do research and to foster excitement for research. To help guide individuals along their research careers and always provide an additional source of mentorship after they leave my lab is fulfilling.” – Dr. Caroline Johnson
Alexis Ramirez-Hardy & Manuel Paris, PsyD
“I'm incredibly excited to work with Dr. Paris, Dr. Cano, and Dr. Rojas Perez on our project researching low-cost, culturally informed exercise interventions for people of color. As an aspiring physician passionate about community health, I could not be more grateful for the mentorship and guidance that they provide in what has been such an important experience for me! Not only have they been amazing teachers, guiding me through the ins and outs of the research process, they have been so enthusiastic and supportive in helping me develop my own ideas and weave them into our shared work.” – Alexis Ramirez-Hardy (’26)
“In the short time that we have been working with Alexis, she has proven herself to be an extremely bright, motivated, and inquisitive member of our team who is genuinely dedicated to improving the well-being of underserved and Spanish speaking communities. She has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn and contribute. For example, she has taken part in the development of a Yale Institutional Review Board proposal, which protect human subjects in research, has actively researched and formulated semi-structured qualitative interview questions, and is collaborating with us on a research poster that will be presented at the Society for Behavioral Medicine’s 46th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions. As mentors from underrepresented backgrounds, we understand the unique challenges faced by women of color in academia. Therefore, we strive to advocate for and empower the next generation of women leaders by uplifting and encouraging our trainees to be at the forefront of a more diverse and inclusive future.” – Drs. Manuel Paris, Monique Cano & Oscar Rojas Perez
Andrea Rix & Samit Shah, MD, PhD, FACC, FSCAI
“I am very excited to be working with Dr. Shah and his team to develop a new patient-reported outcome measure on chest pain that more accurately reflects the way women experience heart disease. Between my time working with Dr. Shah on this project and shadowing him in the catheterization lab, he has proven to be an incredibly supportive and encouraging mentor. He consistently goes out of his way to make time for me, and he invites my voice to be heard even at times when I feel unsure of myself. It can feel intimidating to be an undergraduate joining an ambitious project, but Dr. Shah’s support encourages me to speak up and share my ideas. I am so grateful to him and the team for welcoming me to this project with open arms and always making sure I feel supported.” – Andrea Rix (’26)
“When I was asked to consider mentoring an undergraduate student, I was excited about the opportunity but worried that it could be challenging to include someone in a clinical research project. After I met Andrea, I thought she was inquisitive, passionate about improving the health of women, and motivated to learn more about our research. After working with her for a few months she has proven to be an outstanding member of our team and regularly participates in team meetings with outside collaborators – even the FDA. She has been able to learn about clinical outcomes assessment and has become a key part of an active, patient-facing research project. Mentoring her has been incredibly rewarding for me, and I can quite literally see the future of our field in Andrea.” – Dr. Samit Shah
Chernice Mbogori & Marc Potenza, PhD, MD
“My time with Dr. Potenza has been extremely fruitful. Working alongside him and the research team colleagues he has and continues to mentor has been pivotal to my learning. There is no doubt that Dr. Potenza’s guidance has positively impacted my future as a researcher in the field of women’s health, and I’m looking forward to what we’ll accomplish together. I am grateful for the opportunity to be mentored by such a dynamic leader.” – Chernice Mbogori (’25)
“It has been a joy working with Chernice on her innovative study to explore the unique experiences of immigrant women and their relationship with substances. Chernice’s interest and perspective on this topic inspire us to learn more about these important experiences. Mentorship is a mutually enriching process, where working together makes us all better scientists. This has been the experience working with Chernice!” – Dr. Marc Potenza
Zaharaa Altwaij & Lisa Freed, MD, FACC
“Dr. Freed is the first female physician I have worked with, and she exemplifies so many qualities I hope to emulate one day. Observing her compassion with patients, passion in women’s health research, and work in community health education has shown me the value of having strong female mentors in healthcare. Dr. Freed has already taught me plenty about cardiology and does not hesitate to take time out of her busy day to mentor me in both clinical research and patient care capacities. As a first-generation college student, I deeply cherish our mentoring relationship; it has supported me in navigating the ‘hidden curriculum’ by shedding light on what my future career as a physician-scientist will be like.” – Zaharaa Altwaij (’25)
“It is an unbelievable honor and privilege to be able to mentor undergraduate students as they explore the possibility of a career in medicine. I love providing a real-time look at cardiology in action, which allows me to share not only medical knowledge but also advice on how to develop a career as a woman in medicine. Zaharaa is curious, enthusiastic, intelligent, and a lovely person – truly a perfect pick for this fellowship opportunity. My patients have welcomed her into their exam rooms, and they respond positively to her professional demeanor. I know Zaharaa will make a wonderful physician in the future!” – Dr. Lisa Freed