Omiya Ayoub arrived in the United States in August 2022. It was her first time living outside of Pakistan.  

She started a blog to navigate this unique experience, but what she did not anticipate was finding a new home so easily at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN).  

“JSNN is a great place with many international students,” says Ayoub. “The school became an absorber for my initial culture shock. There’s such a strong sense of community here.”  

She wasted no time fully embracing the JSNN community – from engaging in research in Dennis LaJeunesse’s lab to participating in scientific outreach and communication efforts to training fellow students in microscopy (and even meeting her now husband, a fellow JSNN student).  

From Pakistan to Greensboro, third-year doctoral candidate Ayoub is finding her scientific place here.  

Interdisciplinary, Promising Research  

Ayoub earned her master’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan. While there, she heard about LaJeunesse’s lab and how it studies the genomic changes in microbial communities in interaction with different nanomaterials.  

“It caught my attention because it was interdisciplinary, and this research direction felt like a natural extension of my background,” says Ayoub. “I also liked Dr. LaJeunesse’s supportive and approachable nature and could envision myself growing under his mentorship.”  

Once on campus, this young scientist felt the freedom to pursue her research ideas. She studies Candida albicans, a normal pathogen in the mouth, gut and vagina that typically does not cause disease. Yet under certain circumstances, it can prove fatal for patients with lower immunity, like those with HIV and cancer patients.  

“I am studying genetic changes in Candida after growing on a cicada wing because it is naturally patterned and has structure,” says Ayoub, who is seeking to understand what kind of natural topologies impact C. albicans and whether they make the fungi more or less pathogenic.  

“So far, my research demonstrates this is a promising approach, one making it less pathogenic and virulent,” Ayoub says. She believes her conclusions can be used later in translational research.  

Importance of Outreach 

Scientific outreach and communication have always been important to Ayoub. And her actions prove it.  

She’s served as a JSNN departmental outreach ambassador as well as participating in the Materials Research Society (MRS) as an executive board member and community coordinator.  

“I helped plan events, direct outreach activities, and engage communities with approaches such as nanotechnology or materials-based scientific research,” says Ayoub.  

She was also instrumental in the launch of the Collaborative Research and Engagement for Sustainable Technologies (CREST) program initiated by MRS.  

As part of this initiative, Ayoub would help coordinate high school, undergraduate, and graduate events to dive deeper into the students’ understanding of sustainability, “from a Starbucks stop to an electric vehicle purchase.”  

“We would communicate how nanotechnology serves different fields – from water and paper to plastic and textiles – and can make them more sustainable for the Earth,” she says.  

Science Outside the Lab 

The Science Outside the Lab program in Washington, D.C. welcomed a delegation of 12 students this summer from across the nation to experience science beyond research. Ayoub was one of them.  

She called it “refreshing” to learn about science in terms of policy, funding, and regulations and to meet people from federal agencies, congressional offices, and think tanks. As she moved throughout D.C., she interacted with the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and NASA as well as the House of Representatives and the Senate.  

“This experience offered me a front row seat for how research priorities are shaped, not just by scientific needs but also in terms of public perceptions and national agendas,” she says. 

These honest conversations about navigating science in shifting federal landscapes made Ayoub more aware of “how fragile and powerful” scientific infrastructure can be and, therefore, how important it is for scientists to communicate about science.  

This fall, she will host a seminar for JSNN’s Future Science Policy Leaders group to share what she learned.  

Mentoring Students  

Ayoub was also selected to become a core facilities assistant for JSNN, specializing in Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. 

In this position, she serves as a bridge between faculty and core facility managers and JSNN students and helps standardize protocols. She shows students how to use the microscopes, troubleshoot operations, and optimize data across samples. 

“I have trained more than 10 students,” says Ayoub. “It is empowering to grow into a more well-rounded scientist, and I enjoy the mentoring, training, and evaluating this role affords.”  

A Future in Science  

Ayoub’s multi-faceted experience will take her far following graduation in 2026.  

“I would ideally like to be in translational or clinical research, landing a post-doctoral or industrial position,” she says, “or possibly write scientific reports for policymakers or secure placement in a federal agency.”  

Regardless of where she lands, it’s evident she’ll be prepared, thanks to her “collaborative and interdisciplinary” JSNN experience.  

Written by Amy Burtch, AMBCopy  
Photography provided by Omiya Ayoub