1. Education

Master’s Commencement

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences hosted its 8th Annual Master’s Commencement Ceremony on Friday, June 20, 2025. The ceremony honored the Class of 2025’s academic accomplishments, their dedication to improving the health and well-being of communities globally, and their future endeavors.

Highlights of the Master’s Commencement Ceremony

The ceremony began with an address by Brendan Carr, MD, MA, MS, Chief Executive Officer and Professor and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Distinguished Chair of the Mount Sinai Health System. He congratulated the Class of 2025 and recognized the families and friends of our graduates. He spoke about how his graduate training was crucial and he spent as much time in those programs as he did in medical school. Dr. Carr said he often uses his master’s degrees in data science and clinical psychology in his role leading our health system. He touched on how each of the master’s degrees offered at the Icahn School of Medicine contribute to the ecosystem of health. Dr. Carr closed his remarks by mentioning how the symbiotic connection between education, research and clinical care is what allows us to transform health care delivery and save lives at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Carr then introduced Eric Nestler, MD, PhD, Interim Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine, Dean for Academic Affairs, and Chief Scientific Officer. He spoke about the current biomedical science landscape in the United States, specifically the reduction in research funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Dr. Nestler is concerned that by reducing NIH funding, we are freezing healthcare in place rather than advancing it forward. He mentioned that conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, depression, and many more require extensive research to be properly treated and prevented.

Dr. Nestler explained there has been a rise in chronic conditions among Americans, and that researching genetics is key to identifying factors that lead to chronic disease and illness. He said that the only reason conditions are chronic is because we don’t yet understand causes that allow us to prevent and treat them. Dr. Nestler acknowledged that our graduates will be instrumental in helping to accomplish this over the coming years.  He believes that Public Health is essential to discovering the non-genetic factors that contribute to chronic disease, which we call the exposome, and how our Institute for Exposomic Research plays a leading role in discovering these factors. Dr. Nestler also emphasized the need to study virology to be prepared for the next pandemic. He concluded by saying that are students are uniquely prepared to handle the challenges in healthcare in the United States.

Dr. Nestler then introduced Marta Filizola, PhD, Dean for the Graduate School, who congratulated the Class of 2025 and spoke about the awards ceremony earlier that day. Dr. Filizola started by acknowledging the support from the family and friends of our graduates and asked the students to cheer for them. She told the graduates that they are ready to apply their training to make advancements in science, medicine and healthcare. Dr. Filizola mentioned how the faculty are proud of the graduates, thanking them for supporting and mentoring our students. Dr. Filizola specifically pointed out the accomplishments of several students who have demonstrated excellence in both biomedical science and public health research. She remarked that our students’ efforts have had an impact around the globe, from addressing adolescent care models in Kenya to working with the Health Department to assisting with vaccination efforts in East Harlem.

The next speaker was this year’s honorary degree recipient is, David Sandman, PhD, the President and Chief Executive Officer at the New York Health Foundation. The degree was presented to Dr. Sandman by Rosalind Wright, MD, MPH, Dean for Public Health. Dr. Wright spoke about how Dr. Sandman and his organization have contributed heavily to the development of public health in New York State. She noted how his organization shared their results and lessons from grant making, along with analysis and commentary, to inform health policy and practice in New York State.

Dr. Sandman started his remarks by speaking about the impressive range of our master’s programs. He congratulated our students for their accomplishments and asked graduates to remember what made them want to come study at Mount Sinai. He reflected on his own experience getting his undergraduate degree and his experience volunteering for HIV prevention and awareness during the 1980’s. This helped light the spark for his lifelong passion for public health. Dr. Sandman expressed concern about current events impacting public health, but also shared encouragement with our students. He told students to dream big and follow their ambitions, be fearless but not reckless, and remember that it’s always about people.

Pamela Ming Ern Toh was this year’s class speaker. She discussed her journey as a student in the Master of Science in Biomedical Science program in the lab of Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD. She expressed her appreciation for being able to receive her training and attend the Icahn School of Medicine. Pamela thanked her family, her mentors, her friends, and asked the audience to take a moment and think about a person in their lives that has supported them. She encouraged her classmates by telling them they are ready to take on any challenge because of their training here. She concluded by saying that hope is never a mistake and there is always a way forward.

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences granted degrees to 178 students across nine programs. Students from several programs received awards for their achievements. The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences will be excited to see how these graduates use their degrees to improve health, science, and medicine. Congrats to the Class of 2025!