Dr. Nico brings a diverse background and extensive research experience to her role as a mentor and tutor. For over 11 years, she has been helping high school, undergraduate, and medical students with their courses and application cycles. With a passion for supporting aspiring medical professionals, she provides a platform to lift students up during their application process.
Dr. Nico has an MD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. She is currently conducting clinical and translational cerebrovascular neurosurgery research under Dr. Michael Lawton at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ. Her clinical work involves risk stratification and outcomes of various hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases, while her translational research focuses on novel single-cell RNA sequencing of these same pathologies. In addition to cerebrovascular research, Dr. Nico has extensive experience in global neurosurgery, pediatric brain tumors and epilepsy, and the relationship between domestic violence and traumatic brain injuries.
While attending UIC, Dr. Nico was involved in many research, advocacy, and volunteering efforts. She has over 30 publications and oral presentations at national conferences in neurosurgery, neurology, urology, obstetrics & gynecology, and female sexual medicine. She has served as a digital media intern for the Center for Global Health, a medical student advisory board member for Safe Living Space - an organization raising awareness of brain injury secondary to domestic violence, student ambassador for the AANS/CNS section on Pediatric Neurosurgery, student leader of Women in Medicine Summit, and President of the Chicago Cancer Society.
Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Nico spent a gap year at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine working as a clinical research coordinator on a peripheral artery disease clinical trial. Even before that, she graduated first-generation with General and Neuroscience Departmental Honors from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Furthermore, she completed her entire sophomore year of undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom studying under the Biochemistry Pre-Medicine Program.
Regarding her tutoring experience, Dr. Nico served as a study consultant for Academic Advising, helping undergraduate students improve their academic skills at Johns Hopkins University. At UIC College of Medicine, Dr. Nico continues to work as a Peer Education Program Tutor and Block Lead for the Office of Student Affairs, leading one-on-one and group review sessions of pre-clinical curriculum content as well as USMLE test prep.
Additionally, Dr. Nico has mentored many Johns Hopkins and UIC undergraduates throughout their medical school application process. She is very excited to help more pre-medical students navigate the medical school application process!
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