Raised in the rural city Shimoga, located in Karnataka state, India, Veona Cutinho always knew she wanted to pursue a career in health sciences.
“My mother, a women’s health physician, made a conscious choice to relocate entirely from bustling, metropolitan Bangalore to a very rural and mountainous region, to work towards her dream of making health care accessible and affordable to remote pockets of people in India,” says Cutinho.
Taking inspiration from her mother’s desire to serve, Cutinho plans to pursue health care equity as a scientist devoted to genomic research.
“In the medical field, I want health care access to be equitable, ensuring that everyone has the knowledge and confidence to seek the medical care they need. I am interested in developing personalized medicine to ultimately foster a healthier and more informed society,” Cutinho says.
Driven by her interests in health care, art and advocacy, Cutinho has found in MSU an ideal environment to nurture her diverse interests, offering the resources and community she needs to make a global impact.
A semifinalist for the Rhodes Scholarship in India, the MSU Honors College College senior will graduate in just three years this spring with her bachelor’s degree in genomics and molecular genetics, and a minor in mathematics.
Cutinho’s desire to begin her studies in genetics and genomics led her to MSU’s undergraduate Genomics and Molecular Genetics Program in the College of Natural Science.
“There are very few undergraduate programs in genetics. I knew I wanted to learn the fundamentals of genetics so I can be at the forefront of designing and engineering molecules targeted for disease treatment to transform health care and improve overall quality of life,” she says.
The range of undergraduate courses in genetics and varied research opportunities in labs across campus is a major draw for anyone interested in the biological sciences. “Genetics influences all of biology and therefore studying it is excellent preparation for many fields including medicine, plant biology, genetic counseling and public health,” says Victor DiRita, chair of the Department of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology.
Ultimately, what affirmed Cutinho’s decision to study in a country that was entirely foreign to her were the numerous scholarships and experiential learning opportunities that would be available to her as a student invited to enroll in the Honors College.
Cutino estimates approximately 70% of her tuition is covered by grants and scholarships she’s earned for academic excellence. Additionally, she has received fellowships to fund her research and living expenses, and the Presidential Study Abroad Scholarship allowed her to participate in the International Engagement in Mexico program, where MSU students volunteer in remote communities in the state of Oaxaca.
“I was especially surprised as to how many parallels there are between Mexican and Indian cultures. This ignited a very insightful conversation about crosscultural values and perspectives with my professor Dr. Ignacio Acevedo,” says Cutinho.
“Learning about the historical significance of land and culture and the importance of anthropological studies adds so much meaning to my experience. Before leaving for MSU, I had never traveled outside of India.”
Homesickness was a hurdle that made adapting to her new life especially challenging. The first in her family to leave India, Cutinho made the trip to Michigan alone.
“When I returned to India the summer after my first year away, I realized that life as I once knew it no longer existed. India had moved forward without me, and I belonged at MSU.”
Cutinho found her MSU community through research, working in three labs within her first two years.
“As part of my Professorial Assistantship Program, I got to work with not just one but two professors! During my freshman year, I worked with Dr. Shannon Manning in the Manning Lab where I was trained from scratch,” says Cutinho.
“I did not know what a pipette was, and I was so fascinated by how it works, the different volumes it could adjust to. It was such a tremendous shift from my caveman idea of a dropper.”
After her third semester, she joined Aitor Aguirre’s lab in MSU’s Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering to explore eukaryotic genetics, focusing on the complex systems within mammalian biology.
Gaining the foundational skills of a researcher through her work in the Manning Lab and exploring her interest in the health care applications of genetic sequencing through the Aguirre Lab are experiences for which Cutinho is immensely grateful, but there was still another research itch, Cutinho needed to scratch.
In the summer following high school graduation, Cutinho recalls reading the research of Jose Cibelli, an internationally recognized MSU professor of animal science and physiology who is one of the pioneers in the field of animal cloning.
Determined to meet Cibelli, Cutinho sent him an email about halfway through her first year.
“Obviously, she had done her homework,” says Cibelli who exchanged several emails and eventually met Cutinho, first over Zoom.
“She was eager to work, so I gave her data to analyze from her home in India.”
Cutinho remembers the assignment well. “I had to do some data mining. I was given a list of thousands of antibodies, and I had to identify which ones were specific to zebrafish and then find out the companies where they could be purchased,” she says.
“That summer, we continued to Zoom. The time difference was huge, but she managed to pull it off,” Cibelli says, still with a hint of disbelief.
That fall, Cutinho began to show up in the lab, Cibelli recalls.
Not only would he eventually offer her a job working in his lab, but she also quickly proved herself as a standout in other ways.
“She jumped in and quickly started asking questions — I really like when students don’t let you get away with things that don’t make sense or if I don’t explain something well,” Cibelli says. “Asking why we are doing something and understanding the goal is important.”
“Veona’s curiosity is unmatched. She is always trying to learn and never seems to tire.”
Cutinho’s days are packed. Her weekdays begin around 6 a.m., balancing classes, lab work and multiple campus activities.
On Tuesdays, Cutinho is likely working on SPARC, Student Papers in Academic Research Collaborative, MSU’s first undergraduate academic journal, which Cutinho co-founded.
“I wanted to encourage a spirit of ambition and enthusiasm for higher academia and celebrate student success in research. I want the undergraduate population to add to MSU’s legacy as a research institute,” says Cutinho.
When she isn’t in the lab or in class, she is still on campus, attending a weekly standing meeting with a professor “simply to talk genetics,” mentoring other students or carving out time to work on graduate applications and scholarships.
Exercise is built in, as Cutinho doesn’t have a car and prefers to ride her bicycle and walk MSU’s campus rather than ride the bus.
Cutinho’s relaxation time is often spent painting. Art is another natural gift bestowed onto Cutinho that serves as both an outlet and a form of expression.
Her painting of an embryo adorns a singular wall inside the cloning room of Cibelli’s lab, and the white board in the lab’s main work area, offers a glimpse into Cutinho’s less serious side as she is the lab’s resident cartoonist.
Whether she’s drawing or painting, her art captures the way she understands the world.
“To destress myself, I began doodling and drawing caricatures, but portrait painting is my true passion,” says Cutinho.
Through her portraits, Cutinho seeks to challenge stereotypes of women from underrepresented communities as victims of disadvantage. “Women have always been my muse, and when I paint, I want people to see these women for who they are, not their circumstances.”
Entirely self-taught, Cutinho’s hobby has opened different doors of opportunity. As an Eco Rep Fellow, Cutinho hosted an art workshop aptly named EcoArt Workshop, which was designed to encourage students’ exploration of Indigenous and tribal art through nature preservation.
Her art advocacy extends to animal welfare as a volunteer with India’s Animal Caring Trust Chikmagalur. She began painting dog portraits to support the organization, which she joined at 14 after her poetry critiquing Diwali’s impact on animals drew the attention of its founder. A proposal she drafted led to the region’s first animal shelter.
International students like Cutinho know a thing or two about being their own best advocate. The gumption needed to move to another country on the other side of the globe, not know a single soul and still thrive, should not be underestimated.
“International students often have been top students in their high schools prior to coming to the U.S.,” says Krista McCallum Beatty, the director for MSU’s Office for International Students and Scholars. “A willingness to ask questions and try new things are important attributes in finding success.”
Before students step into the classroom, they must become skilled at navigating U.S. visa regulations. Fortunately, the office McCallum Beatty leads, provides students with an adviser assigned to offer helpful reminders and guide them through the many nuances of immigration.
For example, obtaining work permits and finding competitive internships while also adhering to visa regulations can be tricky business.
“The F1 student visa issued by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate allows students to enter the U.S. to study full-time at a university,” McCallum Beatty says. However, students are limited to working on campus, unless they’ve been granted permission to work in off-campus internships, which can be challenging.
“OISS advisers work closely with the MSU Career Services Network to provide extra support for international students seeking internships and employment off campus,” McCallum Beatty says.
This past summer, Cutinho was one of nine students statewide awarded the Perrigo Undergraduate Summer Fellowship, where she studied neuronal pathways at the University of Michigan’s Life Sciences Institute.
With each major research opportunity Cutinho has, she inches closer to her long-term goals.
“Genes hold the recipe book for life. The transformative power of regenerative medicine just a decade ago seemed like science fiction, and today we see it in practice,” says Cutinho, who plans to begin a doctoral program in regenerative medicine next fall.
“I wish to harness the body’s innate ability to self-heal. This forms the basis of my research vision to impact human health care. As a long-term goal, I see myself working with the World Health Organization, merging research with nonprofit missions.”
For now, Cutinho looks forward to two significant dates.
As December approaches, she eagerly awaits both her birthday and the final submission date for her graduate applications. “And on Dec. 13, I return to India for the winter break. It will be my first trip home since the summer after freshman year.”
Beginning in January, the waiting game intensifies as she anticipates decisions from some of the top graduate universities in the U.S. and abroad.
And with resilience, curiosity and ambition, Cutinho is on track to make a lasting impact in her field and beyond.
Photos provided by Veona Cutinho. Banner image designed by Samauria Kelly.
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