Student Profile: Lindsey Russo
Lindsey Russo is a PhD candidate in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Q: Tell us about yourself.
I am thrilled to be a PhD candidate in the Environmental Health Sciences program (EHS) and work in Dr. Carrie Nobles’ research lab. For my dissertation, I am exploring the relation between ambient air pollution during spermatogenesis with semen quality and infertility treatment outcomes as part of the Folic Acid and Zinc Supplementation (FAZST) Trial in Salt Lake City. This summer, as an extension of my research, I was grateful to be supported by the Dean’s SPHHS Summer Dissertation Completion Fellowship, which allowed me to round out my dissertation work, and attend a 2-day Skills for Health and Research Professionals (SHARP) Epigenetic Boot Camp training at Columbia University in July 2024.
As a UMass alumna, I am proud to say that I will soon have completed three academic degrees from UMass Amherst SPHHS: Public Health (BS, 2014), Epidemiology (MS, 2017), and Environmental Health Sciences, concentration in Environmental Epidemiology (PhD, expected February 2025).
Q: You’ve been at UMass since undergrad, what made you choose UMass initially?
I chose UMass initially because of the Integrated Science Buildings, the Cross Country, Track and Field teams, and the national level dining. I entered UMass Amherst as a biology major but learned about the public health major through one of my roommates during my sophomore year and transferred into the program my junior year. I haven’t looked back since.
Q: What made you stay and continue your education?
My former advisor in epidemiology, Dr. Brian Whitcomb, helped me gain three first author research publications and identify work experience that would allow me to thrive in a PhD program. He also supported me as my sponsor in a 9-month highly competitive UMass Amherst Center for Research on Families Graduate Grant Writing program, which led to two NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA F31 submissions. When I interviewed for the EHS PhD program, Dr. Carrie Nobles gave me the impression right away that she could offer me strong mentorship towards actualizing this dream of earning a doctorate in a field of research that truly excited me.
Q: What made UMass stand out from other graduate and doctoral programs?
I had the opportunity to interview and consider some very prestigious programs. During this period, I learned that the interview process for prospective doctoral students varies widely across universities. While I felt grateful for the suit-level interviews which included lodging and meals paid for, these interview experiences made one thing very clear to me. Having a mentor from one of the most prestigious universities who would likely be regularly traveling internationally for months at a time could never replace what I knew UMass and SPHHS could offer: mentors with Ivy-league talent and work ethic that would always be there for me and be truly available in person. That experience will set me up for a lifetime of career success and happiness.
Q: What would you tell someone who is considering attending UMass?
SPHHS has a close-knit community that is very unique among master’s and PhD programs across the country. It has been a home away from home for me for the last 12 years. It is worth noting that I worked elsewhere in between programs but remained in close contact. The location of UMass in the Pioneer Valley is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts and anyone with a lot of creative interests.
Q: What is your favorite thing about the EHS department?
I have loved working as a research assistant, being part of Dr. Nobles’ lab, and having the chance to be part of so many cutting-edge research publications. I am incredibly grateful to have been provided with full support to present my research at yearly national conferences. Dr. Nobles even offered me the chance to present at the International Society Meeting for Environmental Epidemiology in Santiago, Chile (a dream come true), but I had to decline down due to a conflict. My foundational training is in epidemiology, but I have loved the opportunity to take other courses such as Toxicology II with Dr. Alexander Suvorov, which rounded out my training with lab techniques and exposure. I could have only imagined those experiences previously.
Q: What do you plan to do after graduating in February?
After graduating in February, I will begin a postdoctoral fellowship at Weill Cornell in New York City where I will use risk prediction modeling to evaluate the impact of climate change on risk of cardiovascular events. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with clinician researchers who are world renowned experts in cardiovascular epidemiology and disaster research. Weill Cornell offers access to a wealth of data resources and support for grant writing, including affiliations with Hunter College.
Q. What do you plan to do for fun after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to work towards my long-postponed goal of representing UMass Amherst in a half marathon. I’ve always dreamed of doing that. I would like to thank Coach Jackson, Director of Track and Field, and Coach Tim Ritchie, for providing me with both speed and long-distance post-collegiate training advice. Recently our UMass Track and Field alumni have had exceptional national and international success, and it has been quite inspirational. My fiancé and I are looking forward to traveling and I am excited to pursue hiking in the Lake Placid region with friends.
Q: What will you miss most about UMass?
What I will miss most about UMass is teaching and working down the hall from faculty with whom I enjoy doing research. I know that I can look ahead to a lifetime of friendships, a touch of home, and exciting research collaborations with the UMass and SPHHS community!