Elahy came to Irvine to support her husband’s higher education pursuits, but it ended up opening professional opportunities for her as well. She planned to continue teaching biology in elementary and middle school. However, after exploring the training opportunities at UCI Public Health and contacting Dr. Andrew Odegaard, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, her future began to materialize.
“I’d always had a desire to be able to help people and after meeting with Dr. Odegaard, who focuses on the patterns, causes, and consequences of obesity and insulin resistance, I saw a path where I could couple that with my passion for nutrition,” Elahy said. “I found his work to be intriguing and saw a potential path forward in epidemiology and biostatistics.”
After some additional exposure to nutrition and epidemiology coursework at Cornell University, Elahy applied to the master’s program in epidemiology, with plans to pursue the doctoral program. After two years and numerous hours of research and writing, she applied to the PhD program in 2019, and officially became Dr. Odegaard’s mentee. Over the next three years, she formulated her thesis defense on: The timing of food intake, body weight, and chronic disease risk.
“I’ve always felt very welcomed at UCI where our department felt very much like a family,” Elahy said. “The weather, campus, and exceptional resources were the icing on the cake.”
I’ve been blessed with some exceptional mentors and they’re the reason why I’ve been able to reach this level.”
– Dr. Elahy, Class of 2022
Life after UCI
After officially completing her PhD degree in Epidemiology in June 2022, she attended the Society of Epidemiologic Research conference that same month and found that the American Cancer Society had opened applications for a sought-after fellowship position. Out of many applications and a grueling 4-hour panel interview, she was chosen for the ACS fellowship where she would focus on cancer prevention, specifically on guidelines for physical activity.
While at UCI, Elahy developed skills using a research method of causal inference and using observational data to emulate hypothetical target trials, the approach that was especially attractive to the ACS.
“I never thought that I’d be working on oncology and cancer prevention. There is a history of cancer in my family, and I have personally been exposed to how hard treatment can be on someone and their caregivers,” said the Russian-born native. “Everyone is affected by cancer and dietary risks to getting cancer are largely ignored.”
As to what happens after her fellowship, Elahy doesn’t quite know what to expect. Both research and academia interest her, and the American Cancer Society gives her an opportunity to explore what working for an agency looks like.
The newly minted PhD has the following words of advice to students who may not know what they want to do: “Don’t jump into a doctoral program before really exploring if a particular field is right for you. It’s important to find researchers who have similar interests as you because it’s difficult to pursue this journey alone. I’ve been blessed with some exceptional mentors and they’re the reason why I’ve been able to reach this level.”
