Front Quad of Lincoln College, the walls covered in bright green ivy

Diego Aguilar Ramirez

DPhil in Population Health

Profile

I am a physician from Mexico City, where I did my undergraduate degree in Medicine. After a few years of work as a research assistant in public health, I came to Oxford to read for an MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology. Deciding then to pursue a research degree, I was successful in applying to the DPhil programme in Population Health, beginning my studies and joining Lincoln College in October 2018.

Apart from offering an excellent platform for learning about and doing research, Oxford has been full of opportunities and support for me as an international student. I was fortunate to receive scholarships from the Nuffield Department of Population Health and the British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence to fund my studies fully, an opportunity without which I would not have been able to pursue postgraduate education.

My research focuses on assessing the relevance to cardiovascular disease mortality of dozens of metabolic biomarkers in blood using data from 150,000 adults from Mexico City recruited into a cohort study in 1998-2004 – the largest epidemiological study of a Hispanic population worldwide. Doing research that is relevant for my home country has proved to be powerfully motivating and deeply valuable. Apart from research, I collaborate as a teaching assistant on the Statistics module taught within the MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology offered by the department.

In my spare time, I enjoy rowing for Lincoln College Boat Club, where I currently am the Novice Men's Captain. I also co-edit the NDPH Student Blog – a led-by and made-for-students space to share experiences and ideas about living and studying in Oxford. I also enjoy taking long walks around the city and discovering its hidden treasures – from colleges and their grounds to natural reserves like parks and Port Meadow.

Oxford and Lincoln College offer a vibrant and friendly experience to pursue graduate education with unparalleled support for the student community. Although coming to Oxford as an international can be challenging, efforts are always ongoing to make our community more inclusive and diverse. If you are reading this and are considering applying, I can tell you without hesitation: please do. Get in touch with current students, alumni, or staff if you have any questions – all will be happy to have a friendly and encouraging chat about your prospective Oxford story.