Nicole Nguyen
M.D./Ph.D. Student
Nicole Nguyen is a medical student in the South Texas Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD Program). She will enter into the graduate school portion of the training program in 2026.
About Me
Hello, I’m Nicole! I grew up in the Dallas area before attending Boston University, where I majored in Human Physiology and minored in Medical Anthropology. There, I dabbled in many opportunities that reinforced my interests in the chronic diseases, from developing novel therapies for sickle cell disease to understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the social experiences of patients with kidney failure. My research journey also took me to London, where I explored the rest of Europe every chance I got. I then studied the long-range gene regulatory mechanisms of erythroid differentiation at the NIH before joining STX-MSTP. Outside of the lab, I like to keep myself occupied however I can (such as struggling through pilates, folding paper stars, learning how to drive stick, and perfecting my matcha lattes)!
Hobbies/Interests
I love anything artsy (e.g. painting, origami, musical performances, etc.) as well as traveling, working out, and eating!
Research Topic
cell & molecular biology, epigenetics, chronic diseases, organ transplant rejection
Why I chose MD/PhD
Training as a physician-scientist will help me better understand the underlying mechanisms in both health and disease. In doing so, I hope to develop novel therapeutics and expand limited treatment options for chronic illnesses.
Why I chose MD/PhD at UT Health San Antonio
The way UT Health San Antonio balances research, medicine, and community service encourages me to become a healthcare professional that aligns with my own values and interests. The diverse community in San Antonio not only allows me to connect with people from similar backgrounds but also appreciate and learn from others. With this, the answer was clear on where to train as a physician-scientist.
Post-bac work or other affiliations
Postbaccalaureate IRTA Fellow (NIDDK Distinguished Postbac Scholar), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health (2022-2024); Clinical Research Assistant, Goldsmiths College - University of London (2022)
Education
Human Physiology, BS; Medical Anthropology, Minor, Boston University
Publications
Liu, G., Kim, J., Nguyen, N., Zhou, L., & Dean, A. (2024). Long noncoding RNA GATA2AS influences human erythropoiesis by transcription factor and chromatin landscape modulation. Blood, 143(22), 2300–2313. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2023021287
Shohet, M., Nguyen, N. H., Stern, L. D., Waikar, S. S., & Schmidt, I. M. (2023). Structural and psychosocial challenges among underserved patients receiving hemodialysis during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study. Kidney Medicine, 5(11), 100717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xkme.2023.100717
Sun, Y., Habara, A., Le, C. Q., Nguyen, N., Chen, R., Murphy, G. J., Chui, D. H., Steinberg, M. H., & Cui, S. (2022). Pharmacologic induction of pgc‐1α stimulates fetal haemoglobin gene expression. British Journal of Haematology, 197(1), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.18042