Nathalie Shoji
David’s NYU mentee | Undergraduate researcher | 2021-2023
Next step after leaving the lab: Technician in Dr. Pritha Sen’s lab at Brigham Women’s Hospital; updated in May 2026 for her acceptance to the MD-PhD program at Mount Sinai
My name is Nathalie Shoji, and I graduated from NYU in 2023 with a BS in Biology and Global Public Health and a minor in Chemistry. I joined the Desplan lab in 2021 and worked under David’s mentorship for two years. Our project focused on using the split-GAL4 UAS system to develop cell-type-specific genetic tools for neurobiology research across development in the Drosophila optic lobe. In my time working with David I was able to present my research at several conferences and write a thesis during my senior year, for which I won NYU’s Albert Borgman prize for top honors thesis in the sciences.
I could not have imagined a better mentor than David, especially for someone like myself who had never worked in research before. He was an excellent teacher and made sure that I always understood not only what we were doing, but the relevant scientific background of every tool, methodology, and dataset that we used along the way. He encouraged us to ask questions and be honest about what we didn’t understand, and as a result I felt a lot of ownership over my own research and confidence in my ability to present it to others. David was a very present mentor, always making time to meet individually even during busy times and available to help troubleshoot or provide assistance. He sought out opportunities for his mentees like grants and conferences that I would have never known about and taught me how to effectively communicate complex scientific research to a broad audience. These skills were not only useful as an undergraduate researcher but have come up time and time again in roles both in and out of research.
David was also incredibly supportive of his mentees’ broader academic and career goals beyond the lab. He was open about the fact that research does not have to be for everyone, and this openness allowed me to think critically about my experiences and made me more confident in my ultimate decision that research is something I enjoy and want to continue to pursue. He encouraged work-life balance and was always considerate of what was going on in our lives outside the lab like finals or application deadlines. Working with David provided insight into what it is like to have a career in research, and he set an example for what a good mentor and a kind and supportive lab environment can look like. I would highly recommend his lab to anyone who is passionate about research, looking for an opportunity to learn, and interested in becoming a better scientist.
Awards
-2023 NYU Albert Borgman Thesis Prize for the best honors thesis in Science
-NYU Dean's Undergraduate Research Fund X2 (Fall 2021, Fall 2022)
-NYU Dean's Undergraduate Research Fund Conference Grant (Spring 2022)
-2022 West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference Poster Award
