Sandra Hsu Hnin Mon ’12 has been named as a recipient of the National Institutes of Health Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship (NIAID IARF).

Sandra Hsu Hnin Mon ’12 has been named as a recipient of the National Institutes of Health Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship (NIAID IARF). She is also an NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholar.

Th Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship is designed to advance the NIH’s cross-disciplinary research into HIV and AIDS. The program recruits graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from all scientific disciplines to the broad field of AIDS research, and provides a funding opportunity for intramural fellows whose work can be directly related to HIV and AIDS.

At Colgate, Sandra majored in molecular biology. She was an international student from Myanmar and a mentee of Professor Geoffrey Holm, whose research focuses on mammalian reoviruses. Reflecting on how Colgate shaped her trajectory, Sandra recalls, “I knew I wanted to do health-related work back in Myanmar/Southeast Asia, but thought the only way to do so was via med school. This rapidly changed when I took Prof. Holm’s CORE Outbreaks class in my first semester, which exposed me to the incredible field of infectious disease epidemiology.” Sandra speaks very fondly of Professor Holm’s mentorship, “I was most interested in public health and epidemiology, but that wasn’t a focused offering at Colgate at the time. Prof. Holm helped me understand how my Colgate training falls in line with a career in public health.” In addition to her student research with Professor Holm, Sandra held leadership roles in the Colgate International Community. She also served as a CL and collaborated often with the ALANA Cultural Center.

After graduating from Colgate, Sandra considered applying to PhD programs, but she wanted to gain work experience in molecular research and epidemiology beforehand. She worked in a malaria lab for two years, which gave her further training as a bench scientist and her first major experience working with the Department of Medical Research in the Myanmar Ministry of Health. She then pursued a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree in Global Disease Epidemiology and Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There, she was able to hone her passion for global epidemiology research, and even received a certification in humanitarian health. She focused her practicum on implementation science, which brought her back to Myanmar and Thailand for community-based HIV research. 

Between her master’s and doctoral studies, Sandra continued to work in Myanmar and Thailand with the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights. She worked with marginalized populations across global settings, and expanded her research to the health impacts of humanitarian conflict. She also gained experience in grant writing, which laid the foundation for her success in becoming an NIH Ox-Cam Scholar and acquiring the NIAID IARF Award this year. 

After her PhD, she wants to apply to postdoctoral positions that could give her additional opportunities to build upon her current doctoral project. She is also considering policy-related opportunities, such as the Science & Technology Policy Fellowships through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Ultimately, Sandra wants to pursue a career at the intersection of epidemiologic research and health policy, 

To learn more about the NIAID IARF, the NIH Ox-Cam Scholarship, or other competitive awards, reach out to Meghan Niedt, mniedt@colgate.edu, in the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships to schedule an appointment.