Rooshna Mohsin, a doctoral student at George Mason University, is set to graduate this May with a PhD in public health focused on epidemiology. Mohsin arrived from New Jersey to deepen her research into environmental and reproductive health and found both academic opportunity and community support at the university.
Her work has centered on how everyday environmental exposures affect metabolic and reproductive health. For her dissertation, titled “Dietary and Social Predictors of PFAS Exposure and Metabolic Health in Hispanic Children,” Mohsin studied per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), synthetic chemicals linked to various health concerns. She also researched trace element exposures in populations undergoing in vitro fertilization.
Mohsin said the process of designing her dissertation was challenging but rewarding: “The most challenging experience I had at George Mason was throughout my dissertation process,” she said. “It was academically demanding, but it was also incredibly rewarding in terms of the outcomes and the skills I gained.”
She credits much of her growth to mentorship from Michael Bloom, an epidemiologist who served as her advisor. “He really helped shape me and make sure that I excel as a student here and as a future professional and academic,” she said. Under his guidance, Mohsin presented research internationally, including at a conference in China.
Mohsin highlighted the value of an interdisciplinary cohort within the College of Public Health. “My cohort was the rock of my whole degree,” she said. The diversity among students encouraged broader thinking about public health issues beyond individual specialties.
Communication became one of Mohsin’s key strengths during her studies. She competed in George Mason’s Three Minute Thesis competition for PhD candidates across disciplines, earning third place for effectively presenting complex research within three minutes using only one slide.
Beyond academics, Mohsin served as a public health ambassador for the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health (ASPPH) in Washington, D.C., which helped expand her professional network throughout Northern Virginia’s active policy community.
Reflecting on her time at George Mason University, Mohsin described it as transformative: “My faculty were very welcoming, and the people in my cohort were just family for me,” she said.
