Our expert care is driven in part by our curious and skilled researchers, who take medicine to new heights. Nayda Pichardo Fernandez, Clinical Research Coordinator at Columbia’s Transplant Clinical Research Center, pushes healthcare forward both in the lab and as a proud member of Team NYP.
Research is a foundational part of our care. It helps us develop new standards for diagnosis and treatment and generates findings that may lead to life-changing clinical trials, not just at NewYork-Presbyterian but around the world. It is this dedication to expanding knowledge that keeps Nayda Pichardo Fernandez inspired. “I was always intrigued by research,” she says. “I am here to be of service to others, and I love evidence-based science—and research gives me that.”
As Clinical Research Coordinator for the Transplant Clinical Research Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Nayda helps our multidisciplinary team facilitate a variety of innovative transplant-related trials and treatment plans. She is also studying to become a nurse practitioner.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Nayda achieved her Medical Degree in the Dominican Republic and eventually came to New York to be with her wife. “I never thought of transplant research at all. I just really wanted to get my feet wet in research and see what it was all about,” Nayda says. “Everything we’re doing in medicine and pharmacology started with research, so it’s a way of moving medicine forward.” In collaboration with faculty from Columbia and Weill Cornell Medicine, the Hospital’s transplant services strive to deepen our understanding of health and wellness and transform care for people everywhere.
“NYP is very positive about research,” Nayda says. “Our normal is other people’s wow factor.” Working in the Transplant Clinical Research Center with committed clinicians and researchers in pursuit of life-changing breakthroughs allows her to combine her passion for knowledge with her desire to give back. “NYP opens a lot of doors … we have resources that many other institutions do not have, which is amazing.” The support of our donors and academic partners allows NewYork-Presbyterian to remain at the forefront of research and innovation. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, NYP performs more organ transplants than any other hospital in the nation.
Athletic by nature, Nayda realized she could further energize the Center’s work by supporting Team NYP in the 2026 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon. “I think that was my failed profession, to be a high-performance athlete. I love sports—I think they’re such a powerful tool.” She credits her mother, also an athlete, for her appreciation of athletics. “I actually copied it from my mom. She is a marathoner … so I learned from her, and then I decided to start running myself.” In addition to her awesome efforts at the Hospital, Nayda recently implemented a routine that includes weight training and multiple runs. She appreciates how profoundly challenging running is and that it requires complete dedication. “You really can’t cheat your way into being a runner,” she says. “There’s no way you can cheat your way into having the perfect cardiovascular system to run a marathon—you have to work at it. And that requires dedication, consistency, and, most important, patience.”
Running has also inspired Nayda to explore the intersections of biology, nutrition, and exercise more thoroughly. “Running has brought up a lot of questions in my mind. When I first came across information on running, it wasn’t working for me—and I came to realize I was getting information that was addressed to men. I had to start looking for information from women who run,” she says. This zeal for scrutinizing various sources and popular advice has enabled her to reach a new level of inquiry, one she carries both in the gym and in the lab. “When I run, I feel like I’m getting fuel for the next day. It gets me ready to put in the work to do whatever I need to do.”
Nayda’s gratitude for herself and for life has also been deepened by running, affirming that focusing on gradual progress makes a big difference. “It has been hard for me, but we have to celebrate our small wins. I show up for myself: When I actually put in the work for something, it happens—so let’s start working!” Research and running for a cause allow Nayda to serve others while bettering herself, fulfilling her deep dedication to community and care. “No one is truly independent; we are interdependent. We need people to show up for us, but also we need to show up for other people … we have to be selfless as much as possible.”