Science was always on the dinner conversation menu when MD/PhD student Michelle Narváez Ramos was growing up in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Her mother, Sindia Ramos, is a chemist and her father, Daniel Narváez, is a medical technologist and microbiologist.
“They’d talk about the ingredients in a shampoo bottle, dynamics in the university and lab results. I started to learn about science and realized it’s cool, and I wanted to join their conversations,” Narváez Ramos said.
Her curiosity to learn the family lingo led her to UMass Chan Medical School where she researches how to make antibiotics more effective.
“This a direct reflection of what science is: identifying something you’re interested in, and looking for ways to improve and learn,” she said.
Narváez Ramos, who studied industrial microbiology at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, is researching antimicrobial peptides and their effect on bacteria in the lab of Amir Mitchell, PhD, associate professor of systems biology.
“We’re interested in antimicrobial peptides because they can serve as an alternative or an adjuvant to current antibiotics,” said Narváez Ramos, who envisions a future as a pediatrician running her own research laboratory. “I’m interested in identifying the mechanism of action of antimicrobial peptides and how we can use them to our advantage in medicine.”
In addition to her academic pursuits, Narváez Ramos is working on perfecting her violin skills in her spare time. She has been playing the violin since the age of 6, and said she salsa dances to ward off homesickness.
She has also mentored Worcester Technical High School students who are interested in science or medical careers; has taught about the Deaf community and hardships they encounter in the medical system through the Deaf Health Optional Enrichment Elective; and has helped advocate for medical school applicants, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, on the admissions committee for the T.H. Chan School of Medicine.
The Student Spotlight series features UMass Chan Medical School students in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and T.H. Chan School of Medicine. For more information about UMass Chan Medical School and how to apply, visit the Prospective Students page.
