From patient to Ph.D.

Gabrielle “Gabby” Gussin had a decision to make. She’d earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at New York University in 2015 and was now working on an accelerated one-year master’s degree. As an undergraduate, Gussin had thought she wanted to be a physician – until she discovered a passion for research and became interested in integrating biology, public health and advances made possible by DNA sequencing.

“I was fascinated by the intricate interactions between humans and microbes at both individual and population levels,” Gussin says, “and I wanted to learn how to apply these scientific insights to prevent contagious disease threats.”

But her boyfriend, Sebastian Piombo, whom she’d met at NYU, had graduated and entered the M.D./Ph.D. program at UC Irvine. Following him to California was a big jump for a young woman born and raised in New York, but Gussin took the plunge after submitting her master’s thesis. Upon arrival in Orange County, in 2016, she joined UC Irvine as an assistant clinical research coordinator, which sparked her enthusiasm for pursuing a Ph.D. in public health a few years later.

Then Gussin hit a huge roadblock. Just days after finishing her doctoral program applications to UC Irvine, at the age of 25, she received a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system. She had spent months grappling with mysterious skin eruptions and debilitating rashes, undergoing various tests and treatments without a definitive answer. Once Gussin’s diagnosis was confirmed, she embarked on a six-month chemotherapy journey in January 2019, supported wholeheartedly by Piombo, whom Gussin says was key to her treatment and recovery.

That June, after confronting such side effects as hair loss and a decreased ability to fight off infections, she was declared healthy and in remission. Gussin started her Ph.D. program in fall 2019 and wed Piombo in 2022. “We married at Crystal Cove, our favorite place in Orange County, alongside our family, friends and beloved dog Rio,” she says.

“My treatment experience imparted many lessons that continue to shape my approach to public health today,” Gussin says. “It underscored the universal impact of health challenges, irrespective of one’s age or background.” She adds that it also fostered a profound appreciation for the importance of empathy and human connection. And it reinforced Gussin’s determination to advocate for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Another significant result of her cancer treatment was a desire to give back to all the people who supported her during the ordeal. Gussin is thankful for the UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge and her friends and colleagues who participated. She raves about her mentors, specifically her primary advisor, Dr. Susan S. Huang, Chancellor’s Professor of medicine and medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention; and her dissertation chair, Oladele Ogunseitan, Ph.D., UC Presidential Chair and Distinguished Professor of population health and disease prevention – both of whom played crucial roles in her development as a researcher.

As the first recipient of the Katelyn Chandler Corey Davis Memorial Endowed Scholarship in UC Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, Gussin expresses tremendous gratitude for philanthropy. This scholarship recognizes and assists students who have demonstrated the ability to overcome significant hardships and who are passionate about community engagement and health equity. It provides funding for those conducting research, gaining field experience or working with faculty on projects in these areas. Gussin also garnered the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ F31 predoctoral training award to conduct a thorough epidemiological study aimed at forming strategies to reduce the prevalence of two critical drug-resistant organisms in nursing homes.

This June, she earned a Ph.D. in public health and is now conducting postdoctoral research in the UC Irvine School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, focusing on strategies to reduce antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Gussin notes: “The Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health at UC Irvine and generous support of donors have been instrumental in shaping my personal and professional growth.”

If you want to learn more about supporting this or other activities at UC Irvine, please visit the Brilliant Future website. By engaging 75,000 alumni and garnering $2 billion in philanthropic investment, UC Irvine seeks to reach new heights of excellence in student success, health and wellness, research and more. The Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health plays a vital role in the success of the campaign. Learn more by visiting https://brilliantfuture.uci.edu/school-of-population-and-public-health.