WOMAN OF THE YEAR

BY MADELINE DAY

From childhood experiences in her grandparents’ village in the Philippines to chance encounters during her undergraduate years, Dr. Rose de Guzman’s journey into academia was destined yet unexpected. Today, she’s a postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital studying the impact of SARS-COV-2 infection on pregnant mothers She’s also the founder of Pathways to Science and Medicine, a program that connects community college students with faculty at the Massachusetts General Hospital

Growth is Non-linear:

“I’ve always had a dream of helping others,” remarks Guzman Having lived in the Philippines until she was seven and a half years old, Guzman recalls visiting her grandparents’ village in the mountains. There was “ no electricity and no television,” but what made the most significant impression on her was how “the village was far away from any hospital.” As such, one of her childhood dreams was to “build a health clinic in her maternal grandmother’s village.”

Guzman’s dream of helping others involved a personal journey into academia as well She moved to the U S during elementary school, and by the time she was in high school, she had decided to become an illustrator However, after taking a biology course in a local community college during her gap year after completing high school, Guzman discovered that science “ was fun, even though [she] had so many unanswered questions ” Driven by her curiosity, Guzman decided to take more science courses and developed a particular interest in nutrition science and child development. Knowing that she has a family history of cardiovascular disease, she was determined to apply nutrition science to “stop the cycle.” To do so, Guzman transferred to the University of California, Davis, where she majored in nutritional biochemistry.

It was in the UC Davis nutritional biochemistry lab where Guzman first became involved in research. “One of the TAs asked me if I was interested in becoming a research assistant Even though the TA was already my mentor, I hadn’t expected them to open up a world of research for me, ” she notes

Guzman’s first role in research was simple yet meaningful–monitoring and weighing cockatiels from the TA’s lab “The work was fascinating and definitely expanded my curiosity,” Guzman remarks Her curiosity led her to explore a handful of other research opportunities during her undergraduate years. From investigating how breast milk influences the gut microbiome and health of a baby at the Foods for Health Institute to analyzing how pollution can influence lung development under Dr. Laura Van Winkle, Guzman solidified her interest in research as a potential career. Yet Guzman did not discover the field that she would eventually pursue a Ph.D. in until her last semester of college when she took a course in neuroscience.

“I was intrigued at the idea of figuring out how to live longer,” Guzman explains Even with little prior experience in neuroscience, Guzman was determined to learn more After graduating and working at a neuro-behavioral lab at UCLA for several years, Guzman decided to take a leap of faith and apply for a Ph D in behavioral neuroscience at the University of Albany She was accepted, and there, she studied how stress response-related brain cells were expressed differently in female and male brains. Her work demonstrated despite the fact that women tend to face higher rates of anxiety than men, most pre-clinical anti-anxiety drug studies focus on the male brain and male behavior. “That’s another reason why representation in STEM is important,” Guzman highlights.

Postdoctoral Education and Advocacy

After earning her Ph.D., Guzman joined Dr. Andrea Edlow’s laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. Studying how SARSCOV-2 influenced placental and fetal brain development during the pandemic transitioned her research from the preclinical to the clinical stage and added a sense of urgency Guzman recalls having to balance 10+ hour lab days with adapting to a new work environment “At that point, immunology was still new to me, so I had to read up on literature during weekends, nights, and train rides,” Guzman admits Furthermore, working with human cell samples containing SARS-COV-2 at a time when little was known about the virus meant conducting research with increased precautions, including “full-body gowns, face shield, sleeve covers, and gloves.” While navigating through the pandemic was stressful, Guzman believes that the research was worthwhile. “Any work that can improve how we protect the vulnerable is worthwhile.”

Beyond research at Massachusetts General Hospital, Guzman was also determined to make a difference through outreach and mentorship. As a former community college student, Guzman always “envisioned giving back to other community college students by providing professional and developmental resources. ” In collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion and Bunker Hill Community College, Guzman launched the Pathways to Science and Medicine Initiative, which connects community college students with hospital faculty The program created a webinar series “where panelists from Massachusetts General and Harvard affiliated hospitals would speak to students,” allowing community college students exposure to the field of healthcare “I also wanted professionals at Massachusetts General to interact with students beyond the Harvard community,” adds Guzman. Bunker Hill Community College, which is Massachusetts’ largest community college, contains first-gen college students, people of color, and those of low socioeconomic status that could most benefit from additional support. Though Guzman is wrapping up her fellowship at Massachusetts General this summer, she proudly remarks that Pathways to Science and Medicine has become an official program of the hospital’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion, which will continue her advocacy even after she completes her fellowship

Reflections

“We need to reach out to people who might need help the most, rather than waiting for people to come to us, ” Guzman expresses. “Advocating for STEM can truly make a difference when it comes to increasing representation within the field ”

When asked about the most valuable piece of advice that she would give to aspiring scientists, she grins and lists multiple “Be patient with yourself and mindful of how you talk to yourself ” Looking back, Guzman realizes that she “put a lot of pressure on [herself] in an unhealthy manner.Everyone was doing their best navigating through a foreign environment,” she reflects. “What’s most important is to remember to be patient with your progress and trust your process… Not knowing is okay.” Lastly, Guzman urges, “embrace failure throughout the entire journey and celebrate wins, no matter how small.” Guzman notes that finding a supportive community and standing up for yourself are also two strategies crucial to success. Guzman hopes that her outreach will empower other students and encourage them to embrace a journey into STEM, just as she did years ago From volunteering in a cockatiel facility to exploring neuroscience after her college graduation, Dr Rose de Guzman has paved her own pathway in STEM and embodied what it means to embrace the unknown