UC Irvine molecular biology and biochemistry assistant professor Dr. Dequina Nicholas resides within her office at 3234 McGaugh Hall, where she grades papers, prepares her day and connects with students during office hours.
Nicholas’ office parades a pink backdrop with flowery vines cascading across the adjacent wall. Stuffed animals line the perimeter of her office, creating a warm welcome to those who take an interest in her scientific craft. Pink is a core theme in Nicholas’ office, matching her pink hair and cat-eye frames.
As principal investigator (PI) of the Nicholas Lab, which studies inflammation in the immune system, Nicholas works to create “a home away from home and a safe space [for students to be their] authentic selves.” She prioritizes the undergraduate student body and values each student’s contribution to the culture of science.
“When I first started, I had this idea that I wanted to run a lab and only have postdocs [and] research staff, so people who are already trained,” Nicholas told New University. “I remember there was a professor who told me, ‘Oh, you may think that now, but students, they’re the ones who come up with all the best ideas and bring energy and life.’ And he wasn’t lying.”
As more women contribute to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, they “continue to encounter barriers to academic and career advancement, such as subtle messages and stereotypes that signal low value for women,” according to the National Library of Medicine. However, perceived support from advisors significantly increases STEM engagement and productivity in women.
Nicholas leads her lab with care and understanding, often encouraging her students throughout their academic careers. She commented on the value of joy in the workplace.
“We actually have a motto in the lab that’s ‘Happy people do great science,’” Nicholas said. “So, the idea is that if I can support my trainees and my students to be their best self and to be happy, then they’re able to actually focus on their work.”
Nicholas strives to keep research fun, as she ties in references to her admiration for Beyoncé. She titled her lab information page “Why We Slay.”
“She slays, so we should slay,” Nicholas said. “I literally teach in heels because Beyoncé does all her performances in heels, so like why not? I got married to Beyoncé. I defended my dissertation with a Beyoncé song.”
Nicholas was born in Maryland, but due to her father’s military status, her family travelled to different states throughout her life. They moved to Pensacola, Fla. during her elementary years, where she attended an academically rigorous private Christian school.
Nicholas discussed her upbringing around the sundown towns in Florida. According to America’s Black Holocaust Museum, sundown towns refer to “a community that for decades kept non-whites from living in it and was thus ‘all-white’ on purpose.”
“What’s interesting there is that in Pensacola, communities are very much divided, like down racial lines,” Nicholas said. “For example, at my home, I come home and then like my driveway has graffiti of like swastikas and KKK. Like that’s kind of what I lived with … so I was very hyperaware of both race and racism.”
When Nicholas left home for college, she discovered a world of new opportunities. As an undergraduate, she attended Southern Adventist University (SAU) in Tennessee. Her passion for the sciences began when she participated in SAU professor Mitch Menzmer’s lab.
“I was dehydrating alcohols with acid and I actually found the research itself to be incredibly boring, but the process was fun. It was a very, very fun process,” Nicholas said. “I really like this whole problem-solving aspect of doing research.”
After discovering her interest in research, Nicholas attended graduate school in California, receiving a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Loma Linda University. She recalls an academic presentation on the interactions between diabetes and the immune system as her starting point; this led her to primarily study Type 2 diabetes at the Nicholas Lab.
“Type 2 diabetes runs in my family,” Nicholas said. “I want to stay here and work on this problem. This is what matters to me.”
Nicholas also recalled her inspirations and role models throughout her life: her first was SAU organic chemistry professor Loren Barnhurst. According to Nicholas, Barnhurst told interesting stories about his life every day before his 8 a.m. class to successfully engage students.
“He was the most amazing man in the world,” Nicholas said. “He is what I want to be as a professor, and I want students to understand that no matter how difficult a concept it is, they all have the ability to learn it.”
Nicholas’ second inspiration was Dr. Barbara Nikolajczyk at Boston University. As the first female PI that Nicholas worked under, Nikolajczyk showed her how to manage both family and research by sharing her experience as a pregnant woman working as a postdoc.
“She’s such a badass scientist, and she has a family and she cares about her family, but also like does amazing work,” Nicholas said. “I’d see women who are really, really successful, but then they didn’t have families. I’m like, well, I want a family, but I also want to be really successful. Why can’t I do both?”
Throughout her life, Nicholas recognized the importance of familial support in her work. In the winter 2025 quarter, Nicholas faced a devastating loss.
“What happened is I ended up having a ruptured ectopic pregnancy … and this happened while I was at work,” Nicholas said. “And my neighbor, he saw me in the hallway basically clinging to the walls, and he’s like, ‘What’s wrong?’ So I ended up leaving work in an ambulance.”
According to Nicholas, many people stepped up to care for her. With this, she found that those who support her will always take priority in her life.
“Make sure that when things get tough that you have people that you can depend on, who will step in and help and support you, and vice versa,” Nicholas said. “Be there for your friends, make good solid friendships and connections, and support those who are around you.”
Nicholas urges students to carry resilience and emphasizes the importance of passion and purpose in daily life.
“Lead with love,” Nicholas said. “And when I tell my students I love them — I mean it.”
Alyssa Villagonzalo is a 2024-2025 Features Editor. She can be reached at akvillag@uci.edu.
Edited by Sofia Feeney.