Biology Lecture Series: From Studying Biology to Moving Science Forward

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Mailman Segal. A) In-Person option: select BEGIN REGISTRATION above. -OR- B) Online option: Register here: ZOOM A biology degree can open doors to meaningful careers that students may not yet know exist. In this talk, Olena Bracho returns to Nova Southeastern University to reflect on how her education in biology and chemistry became the foundation for a multidimensional career in translational research. Drawing from her work in vestibular schwannoma and NF2-related schwannomatosis, Olena will share how her career evolved from laboratory research into a broader role advancing patient-centered research programs. Her experience offers a view of how clinical insight and biological discovery come together through living tumor biobanks and patient-derived cell models, and how research infrastructure and philanthropic funding help move that work toward precision medicine and new therapies. Through an honest reflection on the relationships, growth, and unexpected opportunities that shaped her career, Olena offers a broader view of where a biology degree can lead, and the many ways professionals can contribute to moving science forward. About the presenter: Olena Bracho, MBA, is a translational research leader, Nova Southeastern University alumna, and Co-Director of VS360°, the Vestibular Schwannoma Research Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Over the past decade, she has grown her career alongside Dr. Christine Dinh, progressing from bench research to leadership in research strategy, operations, program development, and mentorship. At VS360°, Olena co-leads the infrastructure and multidisciplinary operations that advance translational research. She leads efforts to expand one of the largest vestibular schwannoma biorepositories, providing patient-derived tissues and models that support therapeutic discovery. Her work includes personalized treatment approaches, preclinical disease models, novel drug-delivery strategies, and a multi-institutional clinical…

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