Shola Onissema-Karimu, a Ph.D. student under Claudia Fischbach-Teschl, describes her path to Cornell as a mix of chance and inspiration.
“When I entered college and was given a list of majors to choose from I knew I didn’t want to focus solely on math or science, so I chose engineering because it had both.” The biomedical engineering curriculum also had discipline overlaps–biology, chemistry, physics–which she liked. But what led her to biomedical engineering over other multidisciplinary fields was her ambition to make a meaningful impact in healthcare.
“I was inspired by the field’s commitment to improving health outcomes and addressing healthcare disparities.”
Cornell’s resources helped Onissema-Karimu establish a supportive community and foster a sense of safety, comfort, and belonging. She says this support was crucial throughout her Ph.D. “When schools invest in programs and resources tailored to diverse demographics, all students can thrive. Cornell’s efforts showed me I could grow both personally and academically.”
In Fischbach-Teschl’s lab, Onissema-Karimu’s studies the cancer drug doxorubicin’s effects on bone stem cells and how it impacts bone. She is also creating models to look at how prior cancer treatment affects the spread of residual tumor cells to bone and ultimately metastasis.
Onissema-Karimu feels lucky to be mentored by Fischbach and confident about moving into a post-doc role and running her own lab someday. “I want to help students make informed choices, unlike I did.”
The best part of her Ph.D.? Growing as a scientist and sharing knowledge. She believes Ph.D. programs should prepare students to mentor others and run labs. “It’s about giving back. I want to open doors for students from diverse backgrounds.” Talking at conferences and engaging with students has boosted her confidence to lead her own lab one day.
Outside of school, she enjoys crocheting, walking her dog, Waddle, road trips, watching anime and reality TV, and turning off her mind now and then.