Community Features: Sade Iriah, MPH, Ph.D. (She/Her)

A dedicated learner fueled by curiosity and purpose—someone who embraces life’s many facets while striving to create a brighter tomorrow.

A Black woman wearing a white lab coat with her name, Dr. Sade Iriah, and her field, Nuclear Medicine, embroidered on it. She has a bright, ear-to-ear smile and is wearing a gorgeous pearl necklace with a gold pendant. Her hair is straightened with beautiful brown highlights. — Headshot of Dr. Sade Iriah.

This week’s Community Feature (formerly part of our #WomanCrushWednesday in STEM or #WCWinSTEM campaign) highlights Dr. Sade Iriah, a scientist whose day job as a biotechnologist complements her deep passion for transforming athletes’ experiences — advancing their mental and physical health, strengthening research on recovery, and reimagining how we support athletes overall. Dr. Iriah enjoys being a perpetual learner and multi-faceted individual, grounded by her strong sense of community and her faith in Jesus Christ; she strives to uplift others through her work and daily life.

Responses may be edited for clarity and brevity.

Where did you go to school?

Northeastern University (Ph.D. in Neuroscience) Thesis: The Neurological and Behavioral Effects of Opioids.
Northeastern University (MPH Public Health)
Northeastern University (B.S. Behavioral Neuroscience)

What do you do right now?

I am currently a Study Director in the biopharmaceutical industry. In my role, I engage with various STEM components daily. The breadth of my work involves continuous learning about cutting-edge therapeutics and technologies that have the potential to significantly enhance and optimize our lives.

I am also deeply passionate about athletic health and understanding how to improve player performance and overall mental and physical heath. I spent the last year and a half focusing on athletic health through the NBA Future Basketball Operations Stars program learning from league and team leaders how basketball operations — from player development and roster construction— intersect with athlete health, recovery, performance, and long-term well-being. I plan to dive deeper into athletic health, with a specific focus on women, in the upcoming months.

Sade standing next to the MRI machine she uses to image brains to assess changes in brain structure and activity.

What is your favorite aspect of your current role?

My professional journey has been a real dynamic exploration of various scientific domains. I appreciate being exposed to different areas of scientific research because it has broadened and refined the way I approach scientific questions.

I also enjoy the fact that everything I work on is new. Working on something no one has done before means a lot of trial and error, figuring things out, and failing — but when the experiment succeeds on the 86th attempt after 85 failures, it’s incredibly rewarding.

I had a mentor once tell me, “Science is like throwing a little rock into the water, and you get ripples.” Even if my work is just a small ripple in the big wave of science, I am proud to say that I am a part of that.

What are your career goals for the future?

My ultimate career goal is to have a lasting impact on how athletes — and more broadly, all active people — are cared for. I think not just of professional athletes, but also those who stay active and are simply trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to me that we see these individuals as multi-layered people and recognize the many ways in which their health and well-being can be supported.

For me, the work I do has to be driven by genuine motivation — it has to be more than just a job. Nothing is always easy, joyous, or straightforward, but when I am passionate about my work, that is what allows me to persevere and excel.

I believe that having this passion will enable me to truly make an impact in the athletic health field. Knowing that my work can meaningfully improve the health and well-being of active people keeps me motivated, focused, and committed to the long-term vision of my career.

What made you choose your STEM discipline in the first place?

My journey into the STEM field has been guided by a deep-seated passion and a series of experiences that shaped my career trajectory. From an early stage, I was certain about entering the STEM field, though the specific career path remained uncertain. My fascination with neuroscience was ignited during my time in sports, particularly during my time as a division 1 basketball player. My athletic journey was marked by multiple injuries, causing me to need intensive medical care.

Witnessing not only my own challenges but also those of fellow athletes prompted me to wonder about the intricacies of the healing process and how it impacts the brain and behavior. This personal experience became the catalyst for my commitment to neuroscience.

I was driven to understand the nexus between injury recovery, the brain, and subsequent behavioral outcomes. As I went deeper into the field, this expanded beyond sports-related injuries to encompass a broader spectrum of diseases and disorders.

Portrait of Black woman in a library. She is smiling ear-to-ear and wearing a Black crewneck that says Ph.inisheD. in white and black letters. She has wavy black hair with brown highlights. — Dr. Sade stepping into her future—brilliant, bold, and officially PhinisheD!

What piece of work are you most proud of (publication, presentation, project, etc.)?

Answering this question is a challenge because reflecting on my career, I’ve been fortunate to be part of some remarkable endeavors. This includes obtaining a patent related to the microbiome and contributing to 11 publications spanning topics from traumatic brain injury to Parkinson’s disease. However, if I were to be candid, my greatest sense of pride often stems from what I’m currently on the cusp of achieving.

In this moment, what excites me the most is my recently published first-author publication that focuses on the role of the microbiome in addiction.

“The microbiome’s influence on the neurobiology of opioid addiction and brain connectivity.”

The prospect of unraveling new insights in this area and contributing to the understanding of such a critical issue is incredibly fulfilling. It’s these moments of anticipation, and the potential impact of my work that make me the most proud.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had when you started your STEM journey?

If I were to offer a piece of advice to my past self, it would undoubtedly be to embrace RELAXATION.

Throughout my journey, I invested a significant amount of time and energy into navigating the path to success, which made me put more pressure on myself than I needed. I have to acknowledge that this drive played a role in my achievements, but there’s a part of me that looks back and wishes I had allowed myself to enjoy the journey a bit more. Finding that balance between ambition and appreciating the present is something I’m still working on.

Also, do not be afraid to feel uncomfortable!

An important part of my story is learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I’m not afraid to take calculated risks, because I know that on the other side of discomfort lies room for growth.

Photo of Black woman in a library sitting next to a table that has a black coffee tumbler with ‘Dr. Iriah’ on it. On the table there are also two books stacked on top of each other: one that says Dr. Sade Iriah on top and one under it that says ‘The addicted brain’. She is smiling ear-to-ear and is wearing a Black crewneck that says Ph.inisheD. in white and black letters. She has wavy black hair with brown highlights. There are a bunch of different books in her background. — A new era begins—Sade brings her brilliance to the world of neuroscience.

How did you find support within your institution or field?

My community is top of the line!! They provide unwavering support and shower me with love and encouragement. Their support empowers me to take risks and pursue my dreams without hesitation, knowing that if things were to take a turn for the worse, they would stand by me. The gratitude I have for my friends and family is immeasurable, as I genuinely believe I wouldn’t be in my current position without them.

My community has been my lifeline, providing support not only through my academic pursuits, but also during times I feel overwhelmed. My community holds me up and for that I’m thankful because no one should have to navigate the ebbs and flows of life on their own.

A Black woman holding a black book that has ‘Dr. Sade Iriah’ in gold letters on the spine of the book. She is covering the bottom half of her face with the book and you can see the top portion of her face. She has a cream dress that has drape-like sleeves. She in front of a bookshelf in a library. She has french tip manicured nails. — A new chapter begins—Sade rewriting what’s possible in neuroscience.

What do you think the field can do to make STEM more equitable?

There is ample opportunity to foster equity in STEM, with numerous opportunities for improvement. Personally, I’m passionate about directing my energy toward ensuring accessibility to STEM for both young women and athletes. In the case of athletes, there’s this misconception that questions their intellect, and I aim to challenge and change that perception. One of my major goals is to create a transformative shift where people not only dispel these doubts but also acknowledge and appreciate the significant intellectual prowess that athletes can bring to STEM disciplines.

I’m committed to being part of the change that makes STEM a more inclusive and welcoming space for everyone.

Are there other axes of identity that impact your life/STEM experience that you’d like to speak to (e.g. your religion, ability status, neurodiversity, etc.)? How do these additional axes of identity impact you as a woman/non-binary of color in STEM?

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is a major part of my life, driving my pursuit of living an exceptional life. Faith and science are commonly viewed as distinct entities, but for me, they go hand in hand.

My faith has carried me through both the hard times and the good. Trusting God and surrendering the outcomes of my life to Him has given me strength and peace, even when life feels overwhelming. Surrendering to God and leaning on my faith helps me navigate through life.

A Black woman squatting in a library in front of a book shelf. She is looking off to the side and smiling. She has a gorgeous cream dress with draped sleeves and tan buttons in the front. She is holding a black book with ‘Dr. Sade Iriah’ in gold on the front of the book. She has white closed toe heels with gold ankle straps. — Dr. Sade glowing after completing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience. The journey may have been long, but the glow is permanent!

What else are you passionate about?

It’s funny when I think about all the extracurricular activities I’ve done over the course of my career. I’ve consistently nurtured diverse side passions. Whether it was selling beauty products, maintaining blogs, indulging in my love for reading, having a stint where I play video games everyday, or crafting a fictional chapter book, there’s always been a multitude of interests beyond my professional endeavors.

I believe these varied passions contribute to the layers of my identity, enriching and shaping who I am beyond my career pursuits.

You can find Dr. Sade Iriah on Instagram and Facebook.

Thank you, Sade, for allowing us to share your story! We’re honored to have you in our VanguardSTEM Village!

If you enjoy our weekly Community features, consider donating to our parent not-for-profit, The SeRCH Foundation, Inc., to help support this work.

Community Features: Sade Iriah, MPH, Ph.D. (She/Her) was originally published in VanguardSTEM Conversations on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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