Mika Sifuentes, Ph.D.

Medical Writer at Acelity

Dr. Mikaela Sifuentes is originally from Dallas, Texas, and she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Dallas in 2012. Upon graduation, she enrolled in the Integrated Multidisciplinary Graduate Program in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at University of Texas Health San Antonio. There, Dr. Sifuentes joined the laboratory of Dr. James Lechleiter, where she studied the mechanisms of neuroprotection against stroke. Throughout her doctoral career, she committed herself to leadership and outreach, serving as the President of the Graduate Student Association, Chair of the Integrated Biomedical Sciences Student Council, and co-founder of the Women in Science: Development, Outreach, and Mentoring (WISDOM) student organization. She has a strong interest in science policy, traveling to the Texas and U.S. capitols to advocate for evidence-based health policy and increases in science funding. In 2017, she defended her dissertation and earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Neuroscience and a Certificate in Translational Science.

How did you get to this point in your career?

Before completing my doctoral degree, I had been considering a career outside academia for quite some time. What I enjoyed most about graduate school was learning about groundbreaking science, arguing new ideas, and communicating them effectively to a target audience. While I love the discovery aspect of research, I found myself gravitating toward careers that engage with science at a faster pace. That inspired me to apply for a writing position at a medical product development company, where I would be interacting with multiple research products spanning the gap from bench to bedside. To me, this was a step up from my graduate work, where my biomedical research in mouse models might lead to a clinical breakthrough 10 years from now, if at all. The real, human benefit of research has always been a powerful motivation in my pursuit of science, and I enjoy being able to support innovative work in health care technology.

Education

• Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Dallas, 2012
• Doctor of Philosophy. Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 2017