Mikayla Watt

Hi! I’m Mikayla Watt. As of Fall 2025, I am a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine at the University of North Carolina. In 2018, I earned my undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Johns Hopkins University. My current research is focused on understanding the relationships among PFAS exposures, placental development, and pregnancy outcomes. 

As a child, many of my questions were answered by biology. This curiosity coupled with a love for the outdoors fueled my growing interest in science. While I went to college to study microbiology, two courses altered my trajectory. Developmental biology introduced me to the complexities of life and specifically the “Guevedoces”, whose story was one of the most fascinating I had ever heard. Then Reproductive Physiology truly opened my eyes to a world I thought I knew. As a person with a very large family, including ten nieces and nephews, I have spent much of my life around pregnancy and birth. Learning about the extreme intricacies of reproduction and the millions of steps that must go correctly for a healthy human profoundly changed my academic path, and I haven’t looked back since.

Now as a researcher in reproductive toxicology, I love to interact with others in the field and this networking led me to find the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (BDRP). As a part of the BDRP community, I hope to bring enthusiasm for research, exciting scientific findings, and a welcoming presence as was given to me. I am currently a member of the DEIA and Student Affairs Committees where I hope to make strong contributions to the success of BDRP and its members.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, and engaging with several student organizations and mentoring programs. As a North Carolina resident, there are great outdoor activities, especially hiking and paddle-boarding. You can often find me with my personal stand-up paddle board in my trunk, ready for a water adventure. As for programs, I’ve been involved with many programs, including the Society for Black Biomedical Scientists, the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity, Nucleate RTP, Unity Day, DNA Day, and other student recruitment and mentoring initiatives.