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.