Student Spotlight

Nicole Taube

Nicole Taube is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and president of the Environmental Health and Engineering Student Organization (EHESO)

  • Where are you from? What led you to Hopkins and why did you choose to attend EHE at JHSPH?

I’m from Kalamazoo, Michigan and I graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a minor in Environment. I chose the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering because I have a passion for human disease and the environment, and I can study that intersection here. I also love the atmosphere at JSHPH and all of the cool work going on here.

  • What is your research focus and what is the most interesting thing you have learned about your project?
    As part of the Toxicology, Physiology and Molecular Mechanisms track, my research focus is in in-utero exposure to arsenic in drinking water and the effects it has on congenital heart disease. So, another way to put that is I’m studying the effects that a pregnant woman drinking water containing arsenic would have on the developing heart in her baby. The most interesting thing I’ve learned about my project so far has been learning all about fetal heart development. It’s extremely interesting and intricate, and there’s so much we still need to learn.
  • What has your overall experience as a virtual student been like? What has helped you adapt to virtual learning? How have you stayed in contact with friends or made connections with fellow students over the past year?
    As someone who has been both an in-person and virtual student, it’s been a big shift! It was rocky at first, but the faculty in the school have been so helpful and adaptive to virtual learning, so it’s definitely made everything a lot easier. Early in the pandemic my friends and I did a lot of Jackbox Game nights, and a group of my friends played the Oregon Trail together over Zoom, so that helped a lot in terms of staying in contact with other students! Being on EHESO board has also helped a lot to connect with other students in a virtual world.
  • Tell us about EHESO and your experience serving on the EHESO board so far.
    I’m the current president of EHESO, and have also been president-elect and secretary as well. Serving on the EHESO board has been really fun, it’s been a great way to meet other students and build connections and friendships while also seeing a little bit of the behind the scenes when it comes to educational programs and events in the department. I’ve learned a lot and met a lot of great people!
  • What advice do you have for incoming students?
    Your classmates will be your best support system! Get to know each other and make friends, not only will you all work together with coursework but they’ll be your colleagues in the not-so-distant future. Also, if you’re interested in the work a professor is doing and you’d like to work with them on it, don’t be afraid to reach out to them or a student in their lab! They’d love to chat with you about their work, and a lot of the time there are plenty of research opportunities to go around.