Fellow Highlights

Not on My Resume: Azucena Ramos

July 16, 2024

A photo of Azucena who is smiling and looking at the camera with her hair down. She is wearing a doctor's white coat and has a stethoscope around her neck.

Azucena (Susy) Ramos is a physician-scientist who is currently in her third year as a resident physician in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. As an MD/PhD student, her research in Dr. Michael Hemann’s group at MIT focused on identifying key metabolic genes in acute myeloid leukemia and utilizing CRISPR technologies to explore resistance mechanisms in CAR T cell therapy for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. These pioneering studies have potential implications for developing synergistic drug combinations to treat aggressive leukemias. Born to immigrant parents, Azucena is a 2014 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow who spent her formative years in El Organo, a small pueblo in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

Why did you (or your family) come to America? My family came to America because they were living in profound poverty, with little hope of escape. The United States represented a chance for security and opportunity. I have worked to ensure that I take full advantage of any opportunity I’m given, since I know how much it cost my family to leave their native country behind.

Which living New American do you most admire? I most admire my family and all the folks like them who work demanding jobs to ensure their families are taken care of.

What is your current state of mind? Exploratory as I try to determine the next direction for my career.

When was the last time you felt imposter syndrome? Today. It’s exhausting and distracting, which I suppose is the point of it. Working on trying to minimize those negative voices by looking at the objective data around my personal success so far.

What is your greatest fear? Living a mediocre life.

If you could change careers and do anything, what would it be? Serial entrepreneur.

What is your idea of a good life? Having enough time and resources to make an impact and do something meaningful while still having adequate time to spend with my family.

What is the one habit that you can’t live without? Taking long walks with my toddler and husband.

What one piece of advice do you live by? Do things that scare you, deliberately and often.

Who or what makes your heart beat faster when you think about them? The idea of bringing new and effective therapies to patients who need them most.

This interview was originally published in the June, 2024 issue of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships’ monthly Distance Traveled newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest issue here. ∎