Meet Sharon Cobb: Aiming to Understand Pain in Aging African Americans
Credit: UCLA School of Nursing
Sharon Cobb
Field: Nursing
Raised in: Los Angeles, California
Studied at: University of California, Berkeley; Charles R. Drew University; and University of California, Los Angeles
Musical skill: She can play the triangle if someone asks
If she wasn’t a scientist, she would be: An event planner for celebrity weddings
A single, life-defining moment is what often influences our choice of career paths. But for Sharon Cobb, three significant events empowered her to want to produce a change in society for those affected by health disparities.
First, in high school, she was offered the chance to shadow an OB/GYN nurse practitioner at King/Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles. There, Cobb saw firsthand the need for health care among some of the city’s most vulnerable residents and the challenges involved in delivering that care. This experience led her to pursue a career in nursing.
Second, sadly, two of her friends took their own lives, sparking her interest in mental health and depression. “We don’t discuss depression and mental health in the African American community. And I know both these friends probably would have benefitted from help,” she says.
Third, while Cobb was completing her master’s in nursing at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, she heard about a new program at the school called Bridges to the Doctorate, which aims to increase the pool of doctoral degree students from underrepresented groups. She applied an...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Emily Carlson Tags: Being a Scientist Source Type: blogs
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