Sandra Hsu Hnin Mon ’12 has been named as a recipient of the National Institutes of Health Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship (NIAID IARF). She is also an NIH Oxford-Cambridge scholar.
The Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship is designed to advance the NIH’s cross-disciplinary research into HIV and AIDS. The program recruits graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from all scientific disciplines to the broad field of AIDS research and provides a funding opportunity for intramural fellows whose work can be directly related to HIV and AIDS.
Mon, an international student from Myanmar, majored in molecular biology and was a mentee of Professor of Biology Geoffrey Holm, whose research focuses on mammalian reoviruses.
“I knew I wanted to do health-related work back in Myanmar/Southeast Asia,” Mon says. “But thought the only way to do so was via med school. This rapidly changed when I took Prof. Holm’s CORE Outbreaks class, which exposed me to the incredible field of infectious disease epidemiology. He helped me understand how my Colgate training falls in line with a career in public health.”
In addition to her student research with Holm, Mon held leadership roles in Colgate’s international community. She also served as a CL and often collaborated with the ALANA Cultural Center.
After graduating from Colgate, Mon wanted to gain work experience in molecular research and epidemiology before applying to PhD programs. She worked in a malaria lab for two years — further training as a bench scientist and her first major experience working with the Department of Medical Research in the Myanmar Ministry of Health.
Mon then pursued a master of science in public health, focusing on global disease epidemiology and control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There, she was able to hone her passion for global epidemiology research and receive a certification in humanitarian health. Mon’s practicum focused on implementation science, which brought her back to Myanmar and Thailand for community-based HIV research.
Between her master’s and doctoral studies, Mon continued to work in Myanmar and Thailand with the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights. She connected with marginalized populations across global settings and expanded her research to the health impacts of humanitarian conflict. She also gained experience in grant writing, another skill that helped her become an NIH Ox-Cam scholar and NIAID IARF fellow.
After her PhD, Mon wants to apply to postdoctoral positions that could give her additional opportunities to build upon her current doctoral project. She is also considering policy-related opportunities, such as the Science & Technology Policy Fellowships through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Ultimately, Mon wants to pursue a career at the intersection of epidemiologic research and health policy,
To learn more about the NIAID IARF, the NIH Ox-Cam Scholarship, or other competitive awards, reach out to Meghan Niedt, mniedt@colgate.edu, in the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships to schedule an appointment.