Masters Student Spotlight: Leyla Cordova
Degree: Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Leyla was born and raised in Tucson. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and was accepted into the Accelerated Master’s program while finishing her undergraduate degree. Currently, she does research in Dr. Jianqin Lu’s lab, where they focus on nanotechnology for optimizing drug formulations.
Q & A
What area of pharmaceutical sciences are you most interested in, and why?
- Pharmaceutical sciences include a lot of specialties, but the ones I’m the most interested in are pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicology. All of these focus on how the body and a substance interact with each other. The human body is very complex, and every substance has different properties that react differently when in the body, so the outcomes are different for every drug.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from a professor or mentor?
- One of my mentors during my undergrad was talking about what research is. In this discussion, they said research is failing until you succeed. Most of the time, you will fail, but you will learn from those failures and eventually get to that one successful moment that may answer your questions or may lead you to another project where you will continue to learn along the way.
What’s one thing you’re most looking forward to in your final year of school?
- In my final year of school, I'm looking forward to exploring more electives that UA offers that focus on some of my interests in pharmaceutical sciences, such as toxicology and neurodegenerative diseases.
What’s your personal motto or mantra that keeps you motivated during challenging times?
- During challenging times, I tell myself to keep going by reminding myself I’m doing it for the future, and this will one day be the past, so I’ll keep doing the best I can till then.
What’s your favorite spot on campus to relax or study?
My favorite place to study is the Health Sciences Innovation Building. No matter if I’m sitting on the balcony or in a study room, I can peacefully study and know everyone around me is going through the same thing.