Omina Nazarzoda, a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience working in the labs of Dr. Sarah Siegrist and Dr. Michelle Bland, was awarded the NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the NICHD, which began on July 1, 2026. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from CUNY Brooklyn College before pursuing her doctoral studies.
We asked Omina to tell us about her research and hopes for the future:
Tell us about your research:
In the Siegrist lab, we investigate how intrinsic and extrinsic factors affect neurodevelopment. The Bland lab studies metabolism and innate immunity using genetic and bacterial infection models. My research focuses on understanding how an organism balances important developmental processes, when challenged (e.g., with infection), with an equally important immune response to survive. I have discovered that early-life infection delays activation of the neural stem cells during neural development in Drosophila. Since the larvae survive the infection, and eventually grow and metamorphosize, the “balancing” of survival and development seems to be in resource re-allocation. Activation of the neural stem cells from quiescent to proliferative state is energetically costly. In normal development, all resources are dedicated to tissue growth, energy storage, and metamorphosis. When the system is challenged with a pathogen, survival is prioritized in the form of re-routing the energy and resources to immune activation, slowing/halting development. I am interested in understanding the capacity of a system to carry out both of these competing processes without compromise, e.g., if we keep the neural development “ON” genetically, would the organism still be able to mount an immune response and survive an infection.
What drives or motivates your scientific pursuits?
My introduction to interesting sciences like zoology, anatomy, and chemistry was only from textbooks in middle school. High school science laboratories changed my world when I got to do hands-on experiments, collect/plot data and interpret results. In college I learned about science research and joined my departmental advisor’s laboratory. With a growing interest in a research career path, I applied for a summer research internship in Dr. Josef Anrather’s neuroscience and immunology lab at Weill Cornell. Under the mentorship of Dr. Lidia Garcia-Bonilla, I carried out my first immunofluorescence experiment with fluorescent microscope imaging. We saw brain cells, blood vessels, immune cells, and some non-specific antibody binding revealing cell processes – I was speechless! I realized, subconsciously, and couldn’t put it into words: the more we learn, the more we discover how little we know. That experience not only guided my interest in Neuroscience, but it also deepened my appreciation of research and critical thinking in understanding the world.
What are your future goals?
Research and mentorship are the most fulfilling experiences of grad school. We do research every day, and I have, personally, been fortunate to have many teaching opportunities to work with fellow grad students in lab, undergrad student in classes and labs, high school students in college-level courses, middle schoolers in a summer camp, and children in my local community. My post-doctoral career goal is to continue research and investigation in the federal government, with outreach opportunities for mentoring new generations of scientists as an integral part of it.