Bachelor’s Graduate Lands Research Role On Path to Becoming a Physician-Scientist

ATLANTA - With her bachelor's degree under her belt, Hema Mohan (B.I.S. '25) has landed a sought-after research position and is closer to achieving her dream of becoming a physician-scientist.

Since earning her Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Biomedical Science and Enterprise degree from the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State in fall 2025, Mohan has joined the Yale Stress Center at Yale School of Medicine as a postgraduate associate researcher under the mentorship of center founder Rajita Sinha.

"I work on a clinical trial that studies how complex neurological, epigenetic, immunological, endocrine and biobehavioral variables interact," Mohan said. "Using multimodal data assessment, our goal is to help develop targeted medication and treatment interventions to mitigate the negative biological effects of stress and trauma on HIV, mood disorders and substance abuse."

Among her daily responsibilities, Mohan is involved in clinical study participant recruitment, clinical trial administration and data entry. She will also be involved in specimen processing, data analysis and manuscript authorship.

"My ultimate goal is to become a physician-scientist operating at the intersection of clinical care and translational discovery as both a practicing physician and a principal investigator running my own research laboratory," Mohan said. "Alongside my clinical and bench research, I also aspire to continuously advocate for major public health initiatives, ensuring that lab discoveries actively translate into accessible, population-level health solutions."

A native of Cumming, Ga., Mohan is the first in her family to pursue a career in medicine or medical research. She planned her career path years in advance. During her undergraduate studies at Georgia State, she examined the job descriptions for the types of roles she wanted after graduation so she could select the appropriate classes and extracurricular activities. Two years before graduation, she started reaching out to hiring managers and lead researchers to ask what they looked for in postgraduate hires.

"Based on that feedback, I chose to take the elective biomedical science lab technique training practicums at GSU to address my weak spots," Mohan said. "Getting that input early allowed me to take targeted action, setting me up for success when I applied for postgraduate research positions."

Mohan secured the research position at Yale School of Medicine after receiving strong support and recommendation letters from mentors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

She chose the Biomedical Science and Enterprise program because it allowed her to delve into biomedical research. From scientific writing classes to laboratory technique training, the program made her a well-rounded and competitive research candidate, she said.

The interdisciplinary program's curriculum taught theory, but also offered practical training. In the Experimental Approaches to Biomedical Research course and its associated practicum, which were taught by Coralis Rodriguez Garcia and Jennifer Kurasz, Mohan gained both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in DNA processing and immunoassays, which are directly related to her current research with human cytokines and epigenetics at Yale.

At Georgia State, Mohan built a multifaceted foundation that spanned clinical practice, public health and bench research.

"I chose Georgia State University because of its location in downtown Atlanta," Mohan said. "The access to the best of public health and medical institutions in the immediate vicinity allowed me to secure impactful opportunities at places like the VA and CDC."

Her first research experience was at the VA, where she contributed to research focused on using MRI biomarkers to study stroke recovery.

Later, she served as a research intern at the CDC in the Field Epidemiology and Prevention branch, where she worked on global HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives through the Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys and designed CDC research study materials to align with federal and international regulations. She also worked on a literature review for a World Health Organization publication titled "INSPIRE: Seven Strategies for Ending Violence Against Children."

The flexibility of the Biomedical Science and Enterprise program allowed Mohan to get academic credit for her CDC internship through the Signature Experience class taught by Adani Pujada. The course provided the vital structure and project-planning skills she needed to maximize her impact at the CDC.

On the clinical side, Mohan volunteered at the Emory School of Medicine's ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Center, interned at the Emory Winship Cancer Institute and worked part time as a medical assistant at an urgent care facility.

While balancing her academic, research and clinical responsibilities, she served as president of the Biomedical Science Student Alliance (BMSSA), the undergraduate student organization for the Institute for Biomedical Sciences. In this role, she mentored incoming Georgia State students on how to navigate undergraduate coursework and identify extracurriculars best fit for professional, graduate school or medical school requirements while also connecting members with research positions, clinical opportunities and professional faculty seminars.

Mohan's experiences at Georgia State were the building blocks for the work she's currently doing at Yale, from neuroimaging and data analysis to epidemiological surveys, patient interactions and specimen processing.

She is grateful to her mentors at Georgia State, the CDC and VA. Their guidance and support were instrumental in helping her secure her position at Yale School of Medicine, she said.

"To students who are reading this, my advice would be to reach out to faculty and professionals in the fields you are interested in," Mohan said. "Mentorship is incredibly important and can give you the push and guidance in the right direction. Never be afraid of putting yourself out there."

- Story by LaTina Emerson