Finding the Right Research Environment

PhD researcher Patrice Delaney grew up on an island, so she has always been interested in studying the natural world

Humans, plants, and animals all live in a chemically rich environment. Most of what we’re exposed to is harmless, but some toxins can cause disease. 

Arsenic, for example, occurs naturally in groundwater. In places where water is unfiltered, people can be exposed to levels that exceed the safety threshold set by the World Health Organization.

Patrice Delaney, a Global PhD Fellow in Biology, and the research team in the Sadler Edepli Lab at NYU Abu Dhabi are investigating how pollutants in the environment could affect our health.

Patrice’s interest in environmental toxicology stems from childhood growing up on an island - City Island - located in the Bronx of New York City. “I’ve always been interested in marine life,” she says.

As a young biology major at college in New York, Patrice chanced upon an internship at NYU Abu Dhabi with Associate Professor of Biology John Burt, who works on coral reef ecology research in the Arabian Gulf. The internship at NYUAD solidified Patrice’s interest in pursuing environmental biology. So she finished college in New York and applied for the Global PhD Fellowship at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Working With Advisors

NYUAD’s five-year fellowship programs unite students with experienced faculty advisors from both Abu Dhabi and NYU New York.

Face-to-face time with faculty and constant feedback is particularly important in the lab environment, Patrice says. She and Professor Kirsten Sadler Edepli connect almost daily to review data and see how things are going. Easy access to advanced research equipment is helpful too.

Advice For Prospective Graduates

1. Know yourself and your work style is, then find an advisor that fits that.
2. Talk to current members of the lab and use them as a model. If that’s a good fit, then it’s probably the right direction.
3. Be proactive. It's going to be five years of your life.

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