Jessica Nardulli, B.S.
Jessica joined the Simon Lab in 2022. Prior to joining the Simon Lab, she received her B.S. in Biology and Society with a minor in Psychology from Cornell University in 2021. Her research interests include epidemiology, healthcare policy, public attitudes toward vaccination, as well as Alzheimer’s research.
Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing trumpet, guitar, and piano! She also enjoys cooking and donating blood.
Simon Lab Spotlight! Jessica Nardulli
Jessica Nardulli, Clinical Research Coordinator, from Long Island
B.S. from Cornell University in Biology and Society with a minor in Psychology
Q: Cats or Dogs or Other?
A: I have a cat so I would have to say cats!
Q: What sparked your interest in virology research or led you to join the Simon and Mulder Lab?
A: I would probably say my interest started peaking around middle school when I started to take science classes and learn about the human body and how it works. Throughout college, I was very interested in what the Simon and Mulder lab was doing and with the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic, it furthered my interest in virology and research.
Q: What is the most interesting part of your job?
A: I would say meeting new people. I enjoy communicating with and meeting a lot of interesting people on the clinical side of things.
Q: What is your favorite spot in all of New York?
A: I would have to say Central Park, especially the entrance right next to Mount Sinai – I enjoy taking my lunch out there, it helps break up the day.
Q: How did the COVID-19 Pandemic impact your position on research and virology?
A: Covid-19 really affected my entire college career, since it hit right as I was in college and so all of classes went online and there was a lot of talk about vaccines and at my graduation people either had to be vaccinated or have a negative covid test. I am convinced that my father only got the vaccine to see me graduate. So, I have personal experience with people being hesitant to getting the vaccine and that experience drove me to learn more about Covid-19 to help educate people on the many positives of the vaccine.
Q: What does a day in the lab look like?
A: I live in Philly, so my lab day is very different. I spend a lot of my time on Microsoft Teams and Zoom calls, but I still have a lot of Facetime with people in the lab, and I have a lot of interaction with study participants via email. I also do a lot of coding and analysis.
Q: Aside from being a great scientist, what would you describe as your personal superpower?
A: I would say my superpower is flavor – I really like to cook and experiment with different flavors and spices at home and make a lot of recipes at home.
Q: If you could share one piece of advice with people interested in research, what would it be?
A: I would say keeping an open mind and being very eager to learn – coming into the lab a lot of lingo went over my head and in asking questions and wanting to learn it made my life a lot easier to just situate myself and feel more comfortable. I would also say get out of your comfort zone and try new things!
