Since 2007, Danurys (Didi) Sanchez Noboa, an alum of the M.S. in Bioethics (BIET) program and a senior research staff associate at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, has managed a longitudinal aging and memory research project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC).
During that time, and most recently at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Noboa found that the “ethical and deep philosophical questions” she often asked herself as a researcher remained unanswered.
She decided to take a single course at Columbia—Clinical Ethics, taught by Dr. Barbra Bluestone Rothschild—and was hooked immediately. During the pandemic, Noboa and her team helped older adults get vaccinated, despite limited resources and their heightened risk of serious illness from COVID-19. She began to see clear connections between what she was learning in the classroom and what she had experienced while managing the research project that followed community elders in Northern Manhattan.
Dr. Rothschild introduced Noboa to Assistant Professor of Bioethics David Hoffman, a health care attorney and clinical ethicist who teaches several courses in the BIET program. “We had a conversation, and he exuberantly said, ‘This is your family. This is where you belong.’” Noboa realized, “This is something I can apply to the work that I do. I’ve always envisioned growing within Columbia University and expanding my capabilities.” She applied to the BIET program with high hopes and was accepted.
The program’s flexible format appealed to her, particularly the ability to take courses both online and on campus. “The relationships and the quality of relationships were the same, regardless of the format,” she says. She was able to complete her studies part-time while working full-time, as her courses were scheduled after 6 p.m.
The diversity of her cohort impressed her. “The program did an excellent job of bringing together people from very different backgrounds,” she explains. “Even when we held different views, we were able to engage in respectful dialogue. Whether you supported or opposed controversial health care issues, the environment encouraged open and honest conversations on topics such as medical aid in dying. That was an invaluable experience.”
Noboa completed her master’s degree in February 2024. While ethics had always been part of her work at Columbia, she says the degree provided “the tools I needed to apply theory systematically and enhanced how I integrate ethics into the work that I do.”
As a student and alum, Noboa has forged connections with faculty, including Dr. Arthur Kuflik, Karin Sobeck, her mentor David Hoffman, and BIET Professor and Program Director Dr. Robert Klitzman. Sobeck recommended that Noboa be considered for the NewYork-Presbyterian-CUIMC Clinical Ethics Committee, which she has been a member of since March 2023.
“It hasn’t just opened doors; it's introduced me to amazing people who truly see what I bring to the table,” she says. “You get to network and connect with others who are doing incredible things.” One example is the Empire State Bioethics Consortium, where many BIET program faculty members are active participants.
“Completing the Bioethics master’s program was a transformative experience,” says Noboa. “For me, it meant diving deep into the ethical challenges shaping healthcare and research, and emerging with the confidence to lead conversations that matter.”
By the time she completed her degree, Noboa already knew the next step she wanted to take in her career: improve the quality of end-of-life care in immigrant communities. To achieve this goal, she is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
Noboa credits her master’s experience with helping her achieve both her academic and professional goals: “SPS aligns with your strengths and aspirations, giving you the tools to turn knowledge into impact. If you're ready to elevate your career and make a difference, SPS is where it starts.”
About the Program
Columbia University’s Master of Science in Bioethics grounds students in interdisciplinary approaches and models to address pressing bioethical challenges such as stem-cell research and health-care reform. The program prepares students to act as responsible and responsive leaders in this new and ever-growing field. It also includes a concentration in global bioethics—the first of its kind in the U.S. Columbia’s Bioethics program offers a range of degrees and courses.
