2025–2026 NHLCC Scholar: Nicole Félix Vélez

Nicole Félix Vélez

PhD
University of California, San Diego

Nicole E. Félix Vélez is a Bioengineering PhD Candidate and NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of California, San Diego. Having started her college career in her homeland at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, she transferred to Cornell University where she obtained her B.S. in Biological Engineering and developed an interest in precision medicine approaches to treat diseases.

Nicole is passionate about bridging health disparity gaps and ensuring that scientific discoveries benefit all communities equally. Recognizing that heart disease develops and manifests differently in male and female patients, Nicole’s doctoral research investigates how sex chromosomes contribute to the biology of aortic valve stenosis (AVS), a sexually dimorphic disease that causes the narrowing of the aortic valve over time.

In the lab, she uses her engineering expertise to create patient-specific models of AVS, aiming to identify sex-specific cellular and molecular targets that could help slow or halt disease progression.

Aside from research, Nicole is passionate about communicating science and making it accessible to all. She is also committed to increasing Latinx representation in the field of Biomedical Engineering via outreach and mentoring initiatives.