Student Spotlight|Anayancy Ramos Facio
By Kia Lisby
Emory University School of Medicine student Anayancy Ramos Facio is one of only 50 graduate students in science who received the 2024 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Gilliam Fellowship Award out of over 700 applicants. Her advisor, Tim Read, also received the fellowship for his and Ramos Facio’s research and commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in science.
HHMI is the largest private biomedical research institution in the nation with a vibrant community of researchers, educators, students, and professionals.
Ramos Facio’s research involves understanding the genetic mechanisms driving competitive interactions between pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) commonly found to co-infect the airways of individuals with cystic fibrosis. She intends to advance equity and inclusion through her research by providing mentoring for underrepresented minorities (URM) in STEM.
This summer, Ramos Facio has been a research mentor in the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP), where she mentors a student who identifies as an URM. NSURP is a virtual program that offers a stipend for undergraduates to cultivate a deeper love for science, develop new skills, connect with mentors, grow professional networks, and explore new opportunities
“This has been especially rewarding, and I hope to be able to expand on programs like this at Emory and beyond,” she said.
As a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, Ramos Facio was unsure if she would make it into college at all. DACA students in Georgia are ineligible for federal aid and state tuition assistance, preventing students like her from enrolling in the state's public institutions.
However, she received TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship, which allowed her to pursue bachelor's degrees in biology and computer science from Eastern Connecticut State University. As a Laney Graduate School student, Ramos Facio was offered a full tuition scholarship with a stipend to continue her predoctoral education. Now a recipient of the Gilliam Fellowship, beginning this fall, Ramos Facio's stipend and a portion of her tuition will be covered for the next two to three years by HHMI.
"As a DACA graduate student, Anayancy is a pioneer. Other DACA students have seen her success and realized graduate school is a possibility. They are contacting her to learn more about her story," said Read.
Ramos Facio got into research late in her undergraduate career. During her senior year, she used network theory to research cancer-related articles to identify "important" articles, like the idea behind ResearchRabbit. She then worked briefly as a medical lab tech at an industry lab before transitioning into a research technician role at Georgia Tech.
"Working [at Tech] ignited a deep fascination with examining how pathogenic bacteria interact with each other to cause human infections. At Emory, I sought to delve deeper into the mechanisms governing microbe-microbe interactions, and I found my place to do this under the mentorship of Dr. Tim Read," she said.
More than anything, receiving the Gilliam Fellowship means Ramos Facio can help promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within her program. The fellowship provides $53,000 yearly for the next three years to support these initiatives.
“With the funding, I hope to make a small difference to uplift others through the power of community,” she said.
Anayancy also looks forward to connecting with and learning from others within the HHMI Gilliam community. She hopes this will lead to future collaborations and create a unified voice for transforming scientific training environments as future scientific leaders.