The Mass General Research Institute (MGRI) is home to a research community of 9,500+ individuals working to understand disease and develop solutions to medicine’s most pressing challenges.

But who are they and what do they do when they’re not conducting research? Learn more about them in this new series, #HumansOfMGRI.

From clinical research coordinators to postdoctoral fellows, research technicians, graduate students and principal investigators—they are all part of the Mass General Research Institute.

Our next guest in the series is Nitasha Siddique.

What lab/department do you work in?

I work as a Clinical Research Coordinator with the Dunn Lab based in the Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetic Unit in the Center for Genomic Medicine.

I support our work on exploring the biological mechanisms of childhood adversity and resilience and recently started helping with a fantastic study exploring teeth as a novel biomarkers of past stress exposure in children.

When and why did you get interested in the work that you are doing?

After college, I spent two years at a non-profit supporting vulnerable children and families in NYC and saw firsthand the persistent stressors families face and the many avenues for healing through supportive services, therapy, and more.

I grew more and more interested in the research behind the interventions , how exactly early life stress contributes to poor health outcomes and what factors promote resilience.

These questions inspired me to join the Dunn Lab in February 2021 so I can help dig deeper into the biological mechanisms behind early life adversity and children’s health to identify opportunities for prevention and intervention in pediatric clinical care and beyond.

With the amazing mentorship and support of everyone at the Dunn lab, I hope to hone my skills as a researcher and possibly pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology one day.

What do you like to do outside of work? 

I love reading fiction and searching for new recommendations from my favorite book bloggers, watching K-dramas and movies with my siblings and going for bike rides near Spy Pond.

I’m always on the hunt for good food and like trying new restaurants near me.

What is your favorite TV show, podcast, book, or movie? 

My favorite book is A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza because of how beautifully it portrays the complicated, even when well-intended, relationships within one immigrant Muslim family and explores how children of immigrants navigate culture, faith, and belonging.

I’m not a huge podcast listener but I enjoy listening to Invisibilia on NPR, and I could watch reruns of Parks and Recreation and Avatar: The Last Airbender all day!

A fun fact about yourself

I’m a huge Marvel fan and love analyzing the movies and shows with friends! My favorites so far are the Captain America trilogy and Wandavision.

About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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