• Tatiana Houhou is the first NYUAD applicant to be awarded the Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine Rhodes Scholarship and the third ever non-UAE Rhodes scholar in NYUAD’s institutional history
  • To date, NYUAD has produced 19 Rhodes Scholars since welcoming its first class in 2010

Abu Dhabi: NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) alum Tatiana Houhou has been selected as one of two 2023 Rhodes Scholars, becoming the first from NYUAD  to be awarded the Scholarship in the Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine (SJLP) region.

The Rhodes Scholarship is a prestigious international award that allows outstanding students to continue their studies at the UK’s University of Oxford. Each year, a class of approximately 100 Scholars is selected from over 60 countries around the world, with NYUAD having produced 19 Rhodes Scholars in the last decade.

Currently a Research Assistant in the Magzoub Lab at NYUAD, Lebanese-born Houhou is the third non-UAE Rhodes Scholar to have graduated from the University. She plans to undertake a DPhil in Clinical Medicine at Oxford University to further her work in cancer research. To date, she has utilized nanotechnology to design and synthesize drug delivery systems tailored to target cancer cells and aims to further study genetic tumor profiles in order to strategically pinpoint molecular targets for therapeutics and optimize drug delivery systems for personalized patient needs.

Houhou commented on the award: “In obtaining the Rhodes Scholarship, I feel ready to take my research to the next level and contribute to the fortification of the  Levant’s healthcare systems, especially in times of crisis. I hope to emerge not just as a scientist but as a catalytic force, bridging molecules and minds, genes and geopolitics, aspirations, and actualities. Pursuing a DPhil in Clinical Medicine at Oxford will then align my passion for scientific exploration with my dedication to creating social impact in the region through health and innovation. This will allow me to contribute to bridging the gap between academia and policy to help enact meaningful change.”

The Rhodes Scholar has extensive clinical experience and has conducted important biomedical research, having previously served as an undergraduate research assistant at Gresham Lab in New York and at Ramadi Lab in Abu Dhabi, among others. She is also General Manager at The Medical Campaign  where she leads medical trainers to deliver health-awareness classes to young children while spearheading “The Mentorship Network”, a project aiming to match medical students with professionals in healthcare. At the same time, Houhou has been serving as a Decentralized Trial Specialist at MoveMed, a health outcomes application designed by neurosurgeons and computer scientists at the University of Cambridge.  This role has allowed her to further foster her patient engagement and project leadership skills.

Established in 1902, the Rhodes Scholarship is one of the world’s oldest and most recognizable awards for international fellowship and academic study. Applicants are selected through an intensive process including a written application and in-person interviews.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

www.nyuad.nyu.edu
NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective program with majors in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts, and humanities with a world center for advanced research. Its campus enables students to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world, and to advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from some 125 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.