CELS Alum, Bianca Lauro, Changed Her Career Path to Follow Her Passion

By Sarah Schechter, CELS Communications Fellow

“Realizing what you’re truly passionate about and moving into that field is what’s going to make you successful,” remarks alumni Bianca Lauro. In 2008, she started her undergraduate degree with medical school in mind. She started by pursuing a major in Biological Sciences and a Minor in Leadership Studies.

While searching for opportunities in CELS, Lauro joined Dr. Gabriele Kass-Simon’s biology lab as a sophomore in 2009 as an Undergraduate Research Assistant. It was here that Lauro found a love for research and ultimately decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience with her master’s thesis focused on electrophysiology in Dr. Kass-Simon’s lab. She reflects on this time, saying “I was on a pre-med track for so long and I always thought I was going to be a physician, and I was focused on getting all of that experience, but I was still doing things that I loved at the same time.”

Alongside her research and work as a paramedic, she worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at URI for five undergraduate courses from 2012-2014. “I had such a wonderful experience in my assistantships…and I realized I had a real passion for applied science” she states. Teaching these courses helped Lauro advance her communication skills inside a classroom and reflect on her love of science and research. Similar to her roles as Resident Academic Mentor and CELS student editor and reporter, the assistantships allowed Lauro to connect with students, which fueled her love of teaching.

During the pursuit of her master’s degree, while medical school was still her main focus, a change in Lauro’s personal life resulted in her moving home to the Providence area, where she continued her interest in teaching as a science teacher at Village Green Charter School while completing her degree. “In this position in the urban charter school, I really immersed myself, and learned how to deal with multiple situations and personalities,” she acknowledges. She used skills she’d gained from her participation in the URI Honors program, CELS roles, and leadership minor to support students both inside and outside of the classroom, which she carried into her next position as a science teacher at Marblehead High School in the Greater Boston Area. Working in different schools afforded her opportunities to talk to people from diverse backgrounds, which she believes is one of the most important skills you can gain as you’re becoming a better leader.

While Lauro enjoyed teaching, she pursued an opportunity in 2018 to jump back into science and work as a Senior Technical Research Assistant in Dr. Dennis Selkoe’s laboratory, a prominent Harvard Medical School laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Here is where her career came full circle–a family member’s struggle with dementia had drawn Lauro into research and Lauro ended up working on cutting-edge Alzheimer’s research. Her curiosity in Alzheimer’s aligned with her passions and allowed her to pursue research full-time. She also began to volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association as an Alzheimer’s Congressional Team Member in Boston, lobbying for equality in Alzheimer’s clinical trials. However, Lauro was still on the fence about whether or not to attend medical school and earned an M.S. at Georgetown University, completing the M1 curriculum – the first year of medical school – alongside first-year medical students. “I was working so hard at trying to go to medical school and all of these things, but I wasn’t actually aware of what was making me happy,” she explains, which ultimately led to her decision to forgo medical school and pursue Alzheimer’s research full-time.

“I think that’s why I’ve been so successful here because I actually love what I’m doing” she mentions. While changing her career path was a difficult decision, Lauro reflects saying “if you love what you’re doing, the success will follow, and you will never feel like you have to work a day in your life.” She has since been published in prestigious journals including Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Nature Medicine, and many more. Her vast knowledge and strong communication skills have also earned her the role of Scientific Advisor at Abyssinia Biologies LLC–a small start-up working on Alzheimer’s disease large molecule therapeutics. Lauro has been featured recently on Mass Appeal, a lifestyle program broadcasting in the Boston area, describing the various projects she’s been working on at Harvard Medical School. She has also recently accepted a new role as a Scientist at Pfizer where she will be directing mRNA therapeutics for a variety of diseases.

As Lauro’s success grows, she is happy with her choice and appreciates the support and opportunities she received from URI and throughout her various positions.