Laura Menocal, Drawn to Science
Since 1988, the United States has recognized National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) as a time to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans with roots in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central, and South America, and Spain, and to honor the accomplishments of Hispanic Americans.
This year, the Black, Latino, Asian and Multicultural (BLAM) Employee Resource Network is privileged to highlight a few members of Sloan Kettering Institute (SKI), who share what the month means to them as well as their thoughts on the importance of representation in academia.
Image of Laura Menocal
As a graduate student in Andrea Schietinger's Lab and a PhD candidate at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Laura Menocal is doing what she always dreamed of: being a scientist.
"I love that I get to wake up every day, go to the lab, ask really cool scientific questions, and work on finding the answers to those questions," she says. "It's like solving a puzzle. I love the creative freedom that science gives me."
Another passion of Ms. Menocal's is outreach. As co-president of the Tri-Institutional (Tri-I) Minority Society and Director of its research program, a 10-week summer course that grants underrepresented and underprivileged students the opportunity to do science research at the Tri-I, she uses her experience as a scientist and mentor to guide those who would not have had the opportunity or means to pursue a scientific career as she has.
"As a Hispanic woman in science, I know that representation is everything," she says. "I feel that it is my duty to give back to the community and let young students know that they, too, can become scientists, doctors, or anything they want."
Family and Education
Ms. Menocal was born and raised in the suburbs of Long Island. Her parents, Marta and Rolando, emigrated to New York from El Salvador to escape the chaos of the Salvadoran Civil War and seek a better life after losing family members during the conflict.
In 1983, Ms. Menocal's maternal grandmother was already living in New York and working for an American family. Marta joined her mother in the United States, accompanied by Rolando, and they married in 1990. Rolando worked as a deli clerk for Stop and Shop and other supermarkets while Marta worked in the housekeeping department at Nassau Community College.
As an only child, Ms. Menocal remembers spending a lot of quality time with her parents, who were extremely invested in her education. "In El Salvador, many universities were shut down and a lot of students were unable to continue or complete their degrees," she explains.
She has fond memories of working on math problems every afternoon with her father, who studied engineering back in El Salvador, and going to the library every Monday with her mother to pick out a book to read together during the week. These moments shaped Ms. Menocal's early passion for science.
Drawn to Science
Ms. Menocal became interested in research during high school. She was inspired by her first mentor, Serena McCalla, a science research coordinator at Jericho Union Free School District in New York, who was featured in National Geographic's 2018 "Science Fair" documentary.
"She brought out the best in me and pushed me to exceed my limits," she says of Dr. McCalla. "She truly made me feel like I could do whatever I wanted to do with my future, including becoming a scientist."
As a result, Ms. Menocal became heavily involved in science clubs and organizations while she pursued her undergraduate and advanced degrees. From 2009 to 2011, she attended Nassau Community College, where she studied mathematics and science and was a student representative on the school's Board of Trustees, as well as a research technician for the Bridges to Baccalaureate Program at the State University of New York at Purchase. She then went on to Stony Brook University and completed her bachelor’s degree in biology in 2013. At Stony Brook, she worked as a research technician in the Division of Cancer Prevention, in the lab of Jennie Williams – a mentor of hers. She also became a Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) fellow. The MARC fellowship program aims to help minority students gain access to research opportunities, including providing a stipend to cover school costs, such as textbooks.
She then worked as a research laboratory technician at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio from June 2015 to July 2016 as part of Case Western's Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP). The program supports college graduates for careers in biomedical research and offers a paid research experience with a seasoned investigator. Ms. Menocal worked in the lab of Alex Huang, who inspired her love for immunology and told her to "keep the humanity in science."
"He told me that it's important to be a good person first, then a good scientist," she says.
Finding SKI
In 2016, Ms. Menocal applied for graduate school at Weill Cornell and interviewed with her current mentor, Dr. Schietinger.
"We immediately hit it off. It wasn't just her research that drew me to her, but also her enthusiasm for science. It was so contagious! I immediately knew that I wanted to come to this institution to do my PhD, and that I wanted to rotate in her lab," says Ms. Menocal.
In August 2016, she joined Dr. Schietinger's lab, where she is currently exploring how T-cells differentiate between tumors and what makes them sometimes stop working when they are placed into solid tumors.
During the Louis V. Gerstner Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Commencement and MSK Academic Convocation in May 2020, Ms. Menocal was awarded the Dorris J. Hutchison Fellowship, which recognizes outstanding research under the mentorship of an MSK faculty member.
She is grateful for Dr. Schietinger's support. "The fact that my mentors have played a huge role in my life inspires me to do the same now," she says.
Maintaining the Lab During COVID-19
In March 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, MSK research was put on pause. To maintain SKI's important lab work and facilitate the logistics of the pause, MSK researchers organized the Laboratory Emergency Task Force. The group recruited members of SKI, including Ms. Menocal, to check in on the SKI labs one to two times a week during the height of the pandemic. (Pictured left: Ms. Menocal at MSK, 2020)
In an interview with MSK News, Ms. Menocal says she knew all too well how dangerous the virus could be: "My cousin, a doctor in Mexico, died of COVID-19. Of course, it was a very difficult time for me both personally and professionally."
By July 2020, thanks to the work and dedication of Ms. Menocal and other SKI researchers, the labs reopened and staff resumed their work.
The Meaning of Hispanic Heritage Month
When thinking of Hispanic Heritage Month, Ms. Menocal is reminded of hard-working, resilient individuals, such as her parents, who left their home country in search of a better life and better opportunities.
"I think of how hard they worked to make sure I received a good education, while simultaneously making sure that I had a healthy upbringing filled with love," she says.
She also thinks of individuals, such as her summer program students, who persevere in their new science careers despite having had little previous exposure to scientific research or laboratory work. She emphasizes the importance of outreach, especially for young people of color who are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. "These summer students, for the most part, have had no research experience at all," she adds. "They may not have the most competitive GPAs or grades. I make it a point to use this summer program to give those students a chance in science."
One summer student, who didn't have a stellar academic record but excelled in the program, stands out in her memory. "He told me, 'This program made me feel like I now have a place in science.' I was brought to tears," she says.
"Every student deserves to have the opportunity to feel that way," she adds. "This is why doing outreach, especially targeting underrepresented and underprivileged communities, is so important. The gifted students are there, they just need an opportunity to shine."