Nikkola E Carmichael, PhD, MS, CGC
Assistant Professor, Medical Sciences & Education
Biography
Nikkola received a BA in Mathematics and a BMus in Vocal Performance from Rice University and an MA in Musicology from the University of Chicago before discovering her true career path in genetic counseling. She pivoted with a MS in Genetic Counseling from Brandeis University, and then went on to complete a PhD in Health Professions Education at Simmons University, where her dissertation was a qualitative study focused on the training experiences of genetic counseling students who identify with a racial or ethnic minority group. Prior to joining the faculty at Boston University, Nikkola worked as a clinical and research genetic counselor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. For the last 4 years, she has specialized in pulmonary genetics, providing genetic counseling to adult and pediatric patients with lung disease and spearheading gene discovery initiatives. Nikkola‘s research interests are centered on the education of genetic counseling students, the creation of equitable and inclusive training environments for students with identities that are currently underrepresented in the profession, and the ways in which being bicultural impacts genetic counselors’ interactions with patients.
Education
- Simmons College, PhD
- Brandeis University, MS
- University of Chicago, MA
- Rice University, BA
Publications
- Published on 2/25/2025
Kennedy JC, Vargas SO, Fishman MP, Alesi N, Baek SH, Khabibillin D, Platt CD, Garcia-de-Alba C, Agrawal PB, Carmichael NE, Henderson LA, Wehrman A, Boland S, Walther T, Farese RV, Casey AMH, Manis JP, Collen LV, Lvova M, Barbieri A, Sullivan B, Raby BA. A progranulin variant causing childhood interstitial lung disease responsive to anti-TNF-a biologic therapy. Med. 2025 Feb 25; 100607. PMID: 40020677.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/4/2024
Carmichael N, Zayhowski K, Saenz Diaz J. Deconstructing imposter syndrome among BIPOC genetic counseling students: Insights from a longitudinal qualitative study. J Genet Couns. 2024 Dec 04. PMID: 39632474.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/9/2024
Carmichael N, Zayhowski K, Diaz JS. The impact of cohort relationships on BIPOC genetic counseling students: Results from a longitudinal qualitative study. J Genet Couns. 2025 Feb; 34(1):e1895. PMID: 38591757.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/15/2024
Ramsey K, Carmichael N, Gutierrez-Kapheim M, Dell-Suguitan MD, Bao AK, Hoell C. Exploring the impact of microaggressions on the genetic counseling student-supervisor relationship: A qualitative study. J Genet Couns. 2024 Feb; 33(1):41-53. PMID: 38356454.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/7/2024
Carmichael N, Zayhowski K, Diaz JS. BIPOC students' paths to genetic counseling: Results from a longitudinal qualitative study. J Genet Couns. 2025 Feb; 34(1):e1877. PMID: 38323361.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/12/2024
Ramsey K, Carmichael N, Gutierrez-Kapheim M, Dell-Suguitan MD, Lopez Santibanez Jacome L, Bao AK, Hoell C. Exploring the occurrence of microaggressions in the genetic counseling student-supervisor relationship: A mixed-methods study. J Genet Couns. 2024 Feb; 33(1):28-40. PMID: 38217277.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/13/2023
O'Sullivan L, Zayhowski K, Hoffman E, Carmichael N. A qualitative study of LGBTQIA+ genetic counselors' experiences while applying to graduate school. J Genet Couns. 2023 Dec; 32(6):1200-1212. PMID: 37574455.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 5/24/2023
Chu V, Zayhowski K, Collin CR, Carmichael N. A qualitative study exploring LGBTQ genetic counseling students' relationships with peers and faculty in graduate school. J Genet Couns. 2024 Apr; 33(2):329-340. PMID: 37222227.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/15/2023
Rose JA, Planchart Ferretto MA, Maeda AH, Perez Garcia MF, Carmichael NE, Gulati S, Rice MB, Goldberg HJ, Putman RK, Hatabu H, Raby BA, Rosas IO, Hunninghake GM. Progressive Interstitial Lung Disease in Relatives of Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2023 Jan 15; 207(2):211-214. PMID: 36099425.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/7/2022
Pini J, Kueper J, Hu YD, Kawasaki K, Yeung P, Tsimbal C, Yoon B, Carmichael N, Maas RL, Cotney J, Grinblat Y, Liao EC. ALX1-related frontonasal dysplasia results from defective neural crest cell development and migration. EMBO Mol Med. 2022 Jul 07; 14(7):e16289. PMID: 35795978.
Read at: PubMed
View 18 more publications: View full profile at BUMC