Mahmoud Elbeh

Coming to NYU Abu Dhabi, I was very determined to pursue medicine, a dream I had for as long as I can remember. However, I was advised to include some research experience on my CV, which led me to apply for a position posted by Professor Khalil Ramadi’s lab. There, I was going to support a project to build a point-of-care device for Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Before I even knew it, my interests began to shift tremendously. Questions like, "How can I create better and easier-to-use devices for healthcare?" and "How can I create better treatment modalities, reduce hospitalization, and improve the quality of life for individuals with neurodegenerative diseases?" captivated me. It's this question of 'how' that has kept me in the lab for countless hours since my freshman year.

Just like all of my classmates, I was able to cultivate my safe space to thrive and ask questions, which happened to be in the ERB. Being just a door away from scientists, researchers, and individuals with whom I share similar interests was particularly inspiring. This is when I knew that I was better off as a scientist in medicine, not a physician. I went from not being able to properly handle a pipette in the lab to designing experiments, leading projects, and working with scientists at Harvard and MIT.

This fall, I will be joining Professor Ramadi’s lab at NYU Tandon, where we continue to collaborate with MIT scientists on creating novel therapeutics for various disorders through innovative drug delivery and neuromodulation approaches.