When Zoe Garman started her undergraduate studies, she didn’t set out to become a biomedical engineer. Like many talented students with strong math and science skills, she was quietly steered in that direction. But what transformed her from a student following a well-worn path into a researcher genuinely excited about her work was a simple realization: she could ask the questions that mattered to her.
Working in the Richard Price’s lab at the University of Virginia, Zoe initially found herself drawn to Parkinson’s disease research—a disease that hit home personally through her grandfather’s diagnosis. But as her undergraduate research evolved, so did her interests. When she began working with graduate student mentor Natasha Sheybani on breast cancer-focused projects, something shifted. She wasn’t just learning techniques; she was learning how to think like a researcher. And perhaps more importantly, she had a mentor who modeled what thoughtful scientific leadership could look like.
The ideation phase of research
For many PhD students, the path from undergraduate research to graduate studies feels like a natural continuation. For Zoe, it was more of an awakening. While working with exosomes and extracellular vesicles, she became captivated by the ideation phase of research. Her interest in women’s health didn’t emerge directly from her bench work; rather, it crystallized through her involvement in broader departmental conversations. She started organizing coffee hour discussions about the experience of being a woman in STEM, and something clicked: What if I could apply my existing tools to problems that directly impact women’s health?
That question led her to her current research focus: relaxin-2, an endogenous peptide hormone involved in the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, and its potential antifibrotic applications in uterine fibroids. It’s work that sits at the intersection of her technical training, her scientific curiosity, and her commitment to addressing health disparities—a combination that has the potential for real impact. But the path to this project was anything but linear. Her initial studies in endometriosis were plagued by challenges in sourcing patient samples and limited experience in the lab. Rather than seeing this as a failure, she reframed it as a problem to solve. Just two months before her prospectus defense, she had to make a difficult pivot. The Fibroid Center at Boston Medical Center provided a new pathway forward while Zoe actively built a support network. She sought out scientific mentors across the institution, tapped into the expertise of her committee members, and learned to bridge the different perspectives and specialties around her.
Zoe’s research trajectory is already shaping her professional vision. She’s not interested in the traditional academic or industry pipelines. Instead, she’s pursuing science policy—recognizing that lasting impact on women’s health often requires advocating for research priorities and funding at the institutional and federal levels. Her combination of technical depth, resourcefulness, and genuine passion for women’s health positions her uniquely for this work. She’s already attended events with leaders from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and is slowly learning that advocacy comes in all forms.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
Outside of her research, Zoe has built a rich graduate experience. She’s been active in the Graduate Student Committee, connecting with the broader BME community. She’s a runner who challenged herself to complete two half marathons in a single year—a goal that taught her the value of having aspirations beyond the lab. And she’s discovered that Boston’s proximity to the Esplanade isn’t just a nice amenity; it’s a form of self-care that grounds her during the inevitable rough patches of graduate work. When I asked Zoe for advice for younger students, she offered something deeply honest: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Find the specific thing that excites you, and try to remember that every day when times are rough.” That’s not cliché wisdom; that’s hard-won perspective.
Zoe’s journey reflects a larger truth we hope to foster: the moment a talented student realizes she can ask questions that matter to her, everything changes.