Meet 2024 Award Recipient
Michelle Tran
Michelle is currently a sixth-year MD-PhD student in the MSTP at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is originally from a beach town in Southern California and completed her undergraduate studies at Rice University, where she studied Biochemistry and Cell Biology with a minor in Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities. She also performed cancer research at the MD Anderson and City of Hope Cancer Centers. She matriculated through the FlexMed program in 2018.
While at Icahn Mount Sinai, Michelle completed her PhD in cancer immunology in the Bhardwaj Lab funded by an F30 fellowship. During her time in the program, Michelle was involved in the Sinai Women in MSTP chapter in various leadership roles, serving as Co-President for the past two years. She previously served as Co-President of Sinai’s Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association Club and Co-Founder of Sinai’s Racial Justice Reading Groups. Michelle was also involved in the East Harlem Health Outreach Program (EHHOP) in many roles – serving as a Chronic Care Senior, Community Outreach Chair, EHHOP Consulting Group member, and Access to Care (ACT) case manager. In response to anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle co-founded and presides over Soar Over Hate, an organization that serves the Asian American Pacific Islander community in NYC through safety device distributions, self-defense classes, health fairs, therapy services, youth scholarships, and more.
Michelle thanks her family, friends, and faculty who have provided immense support during her training. She gives special thanks to her mother, grandmother, and PI, Dr. Nina Bhardwaj, for serving as an incredible female role model in science.
Michelle will graduate with her PhD and return to clerkships this summer to complete her MD studies in pursuit of a career as a physician scientist.