From Community Advocate to Cancer Researcher at the Miller School
Inspired by mentors who showed her a future in medicine, Corazón Pazmino begins her M.D./Ph.D. training at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with a goal of improving cancer outcomes through discovery and patient care.
Growing up in Chicago, Corazón Pazmino witnessed firsthand how language barriers and limited access to care affected many Latino families, including her own. As a first-generation Mexican-American, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in medicine, but without physicians in her family or role models who shared her background, it was difficult to envision herself in that role.
That changed in high school through the Medicina Academy Apprenticeship Program at the University of Illinois-Chicago, where Pazmino explored careers in health care and found mentors who transformed becoming a physician from a distant aspiration into an attainable goal.
“Until then, I had never met a Latino physician. Seeing someone who shared my background making such a meaningful difference in patients’ lives made me realize I could do the same,” she said.
Discovering the Power of Research
The mentorship she found through the program extended beyond clinical medicine. It introduced her to research and revealed how scientific discovery could improve care for entire communities.
Her earliest research focused on breast cancer health outcomes, examining why differences in screening and outcomes persist among certain communities. Working at the intersection of research and patient care, she found herself asking a question that would shape the rest of her career. How can advances in cancer detection and diagnosis help improve cancer outcomes for communities like her own?
That question drew her to cancer imaging research, where she investigated biomarkers associated with breast cancer progression. The work deepened her appreciation for advances in cancer detection, but it also sparked a new curiosity.
“I remember looking at cancer cells for the first time under the microscope and wondering, ‘What is happening in the cell that’s causing it to become cancerous?'” she says.
Exploring the Biology of Cancer
Seeking answers to that question, Pazmino shifted her focus to the genetic changes that drive cancer.
At Yale University, she participated in the American Cancer Society Summer Research Program before continuing as a National Cancer Institute-funded postbaccalaureate fellow. There, she studied how mutations in the BRCA2 gene contribute to cancer development and influence treatment response.
Those experiences brought her to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s M.D/Ph.D. program, where she found an environment that united every aspect of her journey.
“I have the opportunity to pursue translational cancer research while training in one of the nation’s most multicultural regions,” Pazmino said, “combining my interests in cancer biology and health outcomes to advance more personalized cancer care for communities across South Florida.”
On August 21, Pazmino will join her classmates at the Miller School of Medicine’s White Coat and Pinning Ceremony. The occasion marks the beginning of her physician-scientist training and the next step in her commitment to improving patient care in the communities that first inspired her to pursue medicine.
More from the Miller School of Medicine
The Miller School of Medicine welcomed 204 students during its White Coat Ceremony, marking the start of their journey to medicine.
Incoming M.D./M.B.A. student AJ Hernandez discusses engineering, physician leadership, pediatric ophthalmology and returning home to Miami.
Miller School M.D./M.P.H. student Serena Raj combines a passion for pediatrics and patient advocacy as she strives to improve care outcomes.
Dr. Andrew Sama’s son, Michael, continues a family tradition as a member of the Miller School’s Class of 2029.
Tags: BRCA2, breast cancer, cancer biology, Department of Medical Education, dual degrees, M.D./Ph.D. program, medical education, medical students, student research, White Coat Class of 2030