PhD Student Profile: Brittany Taylor
PhD '24
My two passions are women’s health and sickle cell disease. I believe both of these fields do not receive enough attention or research funding, which contributes to health disparities.
Please tell us a bit about yourself; where are you from, and what do you like to do in your spare time?
I was born on a military base in Tokyo, Japan, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. I completed my first undergraduate degree with a major in music at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia. In my spare time, I play cello with local community orchestras and take ballet classes.
Why did you decide to pursue nursing, and why did you choose Columbia?
I first began to consider nursing as a career when my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness; my goal was to take care of him. After he died, I still felt that I wanted a career helping people and decided to go to nursing school. I completed the Associate of Applied Science in nursing program at Borough of Manhattan Community College and later, the RN-BSN program at New York City College of Technology. I also completed the BS in biomedical informatics at New York City College of Technology. This program required an internship, where I was fortunate to work under Professor Ruth Masterson Creber, who is now my primary mentor. She was the first person to suggest a PhD in nursing, and she recommended Columbia. I was reluctant at first, but as I read more about the research of Columbia Nursing faculty, I became excited at the prospect of learning more about informatics and applying that knowledge to patient care. Once I learned of Professor Suzanne Bakken and her innovations in the field of nursing informatics, I was set on attending Columbia for my PhD.
What are you passionate about, and how has being a student at Columbia Nursing allowed you to follow that passion?
My two passions are women’s health and sickle cell disease. I believe both of these fields do not receive enough attention or research funding, which contributes to health disparities. Columbia Nursing gave me the opportunity to focus on a sample of Black women and work toward finding a more objective way to identify those at risk for depression. More effective identification of at-risk individuals can improve diagnosis and lead to more equitable and effective treatment.
Can you tell us a bit about your PhD research?
My dissertation focuses on using machine learning to analyze DNA methylation data and social determinants of health to identify Black women at risk for depression. The goal is to find a way to identify at-risk women without self-report bias or stigma. This project has allowed me to integrate my training in bioinformatics and data science with my clinical nursing experience to improve outcomes for patients.
Do you have a favorite memory of your time at Columbia Nursing?
One of my favorite memories is the time I convinced two of my classmates to play in the CUIMC Symphony Orchestra with me. It was so nice being able to hang out with them outside of class and just play music together. At our end of semester concert, several PhD students and faculty attended and came up to the stage to congratulate us afterwards. It was really a great experience.
What are your next steps after graduation?
Starting this summer, I will be a postdoctoral scholar in the Targeted Research and Academic Training Program for Nurses in Genomics T32 program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. I plan to use data from the Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium to analyze pain biomarkers and develop a model to predict a crisis.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I am very grateful for my time at Columbia Nursing and everything I have learned in the past four years. I appreciate every faculty member who made time to sit down with me, and I would not have made it without all of you.