Interview with Dr. Monica Ferrini, Dean of COSH
How did you initially become interested in a career in science?
My inspiration came from reading about Marie Curie, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who was also a woman and a mother. Her achievements left a profound impression on me, and I’ ve wanted to follow in her footsteps ever since. I come from Argentina, where the educational system differs from that in the United States. I initially enrolled in the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry at the University of Buenos Aires, where I pursued a career in biochemistry.
However, I was also interested in other areas of science, and due to my high GPA, I was recruited as a pre-doctoral fellow in the National Research Council of Argentina( CONICET), which is similar to the National Institutes of Health( NIH) in the US. At the National Research Council, I completed my Ph. D. in physiology and researched the impact of stress on the aging process in the brain. Afterward, I secured a position as a professor teaching anatomy, physiology, and histology at the University of Buenos Aires in the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry.
In 1999, I was given the opportunity to travel to the
US for a six-month training program in molecular biology. I joined the UCLA Department of Urology and began conducting research at LA BIOMED, which is now known as the Lundquist Institute. I started working on the role of nitric oxide in erectile function, especially focusing my research on the role of inducible nitric oxide synthesis in the modulation of penile fibrosis in aging. My position eventually evolved into an assistant research professor. I had the opportunity to visit and give a seminar at CDU and was really impressed with the school. Luckily, I was able to join the faculty in 2008 and even received grant funding from NIH. At first, my main focus was on research, but I eventually started teaching Anatomy and Physiology within the Department of Health and Life Sciences. In 2015, I was honored to be appointed as the department chair.
Do you think the COSH learning experience is unique and conducive to academic success?
We prioritize maintaining small class sizes and a favorable faculty-student ratio. Witnessing the progress of students who were initially struggling or facing challenges and seeing them succeed in getting into health professional schools or advancing their careers brings me great joy. As my
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 25