Each month we highlight one of our MSTP students. This month's highlight is:
Joys Annika G. David
Area of Study: Biomedical sciences
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Academics
Research interests
- Gene therapy
- Regenerative medicine
- Neurodevelopment
- Neurodegeneration
Awards
- National Eye Institute Three Minute Talk Competition, Postbaccalaureate Division Runner Up, 2022
- Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Semi-Finalist, 2020
- Pepperdine University Humanities and Fine Arts Division Scholarship, 2019-2020
- Pepperdine University Dean’s List, 2019-2020
- Currents Magazine Writing Competition, 3rd Place, 2019
- David, Joys Annika. “Blank Hours.” 2019. Currents Magazine, https://pepperdine-graphic.com/blank-hours-poem/.
Publications
Research works
- Wan Q, David J, Zhang C, Park T, Farnoodian M, Nguyen E, Montford J, Lewallen C, George A, Miyagishima K, McGaughey D, Ortolan D, Bose D, Maminishkis A, Sharma R, Bharti K. Piezo 1 channels highly expressed in human RPE. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. April 2023.
- David J, Zhang C, Fausey A, Farnoodian M, Sharma R, Bharti K. TLR3 and TLR4 regulate complement-induced AMD cellular phenotype in iPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelium. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. May 2022.
- Zhang C, Quinn R, Nguyen E, Fernando N, David J, Bharti, K. Targeted deletion of interferon regulatory factor 5 gene in mice triggers choroidal neovascularization. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. May 2022.
Published poetry works
- "Caffeine.” City of Malibu’s Student Anthology, Glue, 2020.
- “The Simple Act.” Expressionists: Magazine of the Arts, 2020.
- “The Caterpillar.” Expressionists: Magazine of the Arts, 2020.
- “Where Freedom Rings." Expressionists: Magazine of the Arts, 2018.
Long term goals/ aspirations
- In my career, I hope to care for individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions and use my research to enhance their daily lives and overall health. I would also like to apply my training to establish a clinic in the Philippines dedicated to the long-term care of patients with developmental disabilities.
Post MSTP Training dream job
- My dream job is to be a physician-scientist at a large academic hospital specializing in neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Fun Facts
What you enjoy outside of school
I love to explore new cities and parks, try different restaurants and recipes, and hang out with friends over a meal and games. Prior to medical school, writing screenplays, novels, and poems brought me a lot of joy, and I would like to carve out time to keep writing.
A talent you have always wanted
My mom’s cooking talent. My favorite memories are around a dining table, so the idea of bringing people together to eat and laugh excites me. I’ve been trying to cook more, but I have a long way to go!
Favorite book
Picking a favorite is difficult, but the last book I read that drew me in emotionally and that I appreciated for its writing was The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.
Favorite quote
It’s a snippet from the poem, “Invitation” by Mary Oliver: “it is a serious thing // just to be alive / on this fresh morning / in the broken world.”
Can’t live without
Good food and good people––my life’s main sources of joy.
If you weren’t in MSTP, what would you be doing now?
Most likely, I would be finding another career path that allows for research and patient care. Alternatively, I might be pursuing a career in social work, traveling, and being more intentional about creative writing.