Graduate students from FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work were recognized for their research excellence and ability to communicate complex topics to broad audiences during the University Graduate School’s Graduate Student Appreciation Week, held April 6–16.
The weeklong celebration featured several events across FIU campuses and modalities to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of graduate students. Among the signature events were the Graduate Scholarly Forum, where 140 graduate students presented their research with support from more than 70 faculty and postdoctoral scholars who served as judges, and the Three Minute Thesis, or 3MT®, competition, where finalists were challenged to explain their research in just three minutes.
Four Stempel College students were recognized or selected to represent the college through their work on Alzheimer’s disease, HIV care, e-cigarette use and nutrition policy.
Amanda Martinez, a Ph.D. student in Public Health with a concentration in Environmental Toxicology, received first place in the Health and Life Sciences category at the Graduate Scholarly Forum. Her presentation, “Estrogen-linked mitochondrial dysregulation in Alzheimer’s disease: Investigating NRF1 as a sex-specific regulator,” explores why women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Martinez studies how declining estrogen levels may affect mitochondrial function in the brain through a regulatory gene called NRF1. Her work also considers how estrogen decline, whether occurring naturally during menopause or potentially exacerbated by exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, may contribute to neurodegeneration and increased disease vulnerability.
“This work is important because Alzheimer’s disease disproportionately affects women, with nearly two-thirds of diagnosed cases occurring in women, and it continues to grow as a major public health issue in aging populations,” Martinez said. “This recognition was especially rewarding as I finish the first semester of my second year in the Ph.D. program.”
Jacqueline Krystel Loubeau, a Ph.D. student in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, received first place in the Social and Behavioral Sciences category at the Graduate Scholarly Forum. Her presentation, “Engagement barriers in HIV care among South Florida’s Haitian immigrants,” focused on the barriers Haitian immigrants living with HIV face in staying engaged in care and achieving viral suppression.
Through interviews and focus groups with HIV care and ancillary service providers, Loubeau found that HIV-related stigma and psychosocial challenges are primary burdens for this community, with language barriers and limited health literacy further compounding these challenges.
“This work is important because it centers a population that is often overlooked in research,” Loubeau said. “South Florida is home to the largest Haitian community in the United States, yet few interventions are designed to address the unique barriers experienced by Haitian immigrants living with HIV.”
Simanta Roy, a Ph.D. candidate in Epidemiology, received second place in the Public Health category during the 3MT competition. His presentation, “Effects of e-cigarette use on lung function in young adults,” examined how e-cigarette use may affect lung health in young adults, both immediately after vaping and over a one-year period.
Using spirometry, the gold standard test for lung function, Roy also studied how different flavors and nicotine concentrations may influence lung function.
“E-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among young people and are often perceived as safer alternatives to cigarettes, despite limited evidence on their long-term health effects,” Roy said. “This work helps generate early evidence that can inform public health policy, regulation, prevention efforts and community awareness before potential lung damage becomes irreversible.”
Gabriela “Gaby” Proaño, a Ph.D. candidate in Dietetics and Nutrition, represented Stempel College as a finalist in the 3MT competition. Her presentation, “The journey of a labeling law: from policy to public health impact,” focused on her dissertation research evaluating the impact of front-of-pack labeling on nutrition and health in Peru.
Proaño’s work examines the challenges that can arise as this public health policy moves from implementation to impact, including industry compliance, consumer understanding of labels and whether consumers actually make behavior changes related to food consumption as a result.
“This topic matters because it has been implemented in over 40 countries and is currently being considered by the U.S. as a national policy meant to help consumers make more informed decisions and potentially address global public health issues such as obesity and non-communicable disease prevention,” Proaño said.
The students’ work reflects the range of graduate research taking place across Stempel College, from environmental health sciences and epidemiology to health promotion, disease prevention, dietetics and nutrition.
Their recognition during Graduate Student Appreciation Week highlights the role graduate students play in advancing research that addresses pressing public health challenges, informs policy and supports communities locally and globally.
“At Stempel College, our graduate students are conducting research that speaks directly to some of today’s most pressing public health challenges,” said Tomás R. Guilarte, dean of FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. “This recognition reflects not only their individual excellence, but also the strength and impact of the research taking place across our college.”