Meet Cynthia Nguyen, the Clinical Research Program Manager for the Department of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. With a background spanning molecular biology, clinical trial coordination and regulatory compliance, Cynthia brings nearly a decade of research experience to her role. Most recently Cynthia spent four years as a Research Program Coordinator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai working with Dr. J Mocco, before joining WCM when Dr. Mocco became the Chair and Neurosurgeon-In-Chief of Neurological Surgery.
Cynthia grew up in Seattle and was always drawn to science, but it was an unusual opportunity that set her on her path. At 16, she enrolled in an early entrance program at the University of Washington, skipping her final years of high school to begin college early. One of the first required courses in the program was neuroscience. "I ended up falling in love with it so much," she says. "I wanted to stay in this field."
That early spark turned into hands-on experience when Cynthia joined a translational animal research lab during her junior year of college — which, as it happened, was also focused on neurosurgery. By the time she graduated, she knew she wanted to build a career at the intersection of science and clinical operations. She went on to earn her master's in clinical research from NYU, a degree that opened the door to neurosurgery at Mount Sinai, where she worked alongside Dr. J Mocco overseeing a network of cerebrovascular clinical trials. When Dr. Mocco was named chair of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine in December 2025, Cynthia followed soon after.
Building Something New
The transition to WCM meant stepping into a significantly expanded role. As Clinical Research Program Manager for the department, Cynthia oversees day-to-day research operations across a broad range of neurosurgical specialties, from hiring and staffing to coordinating with industry sponsors, training the research team and helping assess which new trials to bring on. The department currently has around 51 clinical research studies, including interventional (device, drug, procedures) clinical trials and registry studies, with more in development.
"It's definitely been scaled up since my transition to Weill Cornell Medicine," she says, "but it's been really exciting to have that growth."
During this transition, Cynthia has been intentional about staying close to the work at every level. During her time at Mount Sinai, one of her mentors instilled in her the belief that no matter how senior you become, you should always be able to step in and do the work alongside your team. "Even though I'm overseeing the department's clinical research efforts, if the research coordinators are overwhelmed, being able to step in and help them and see patients is really important to me."
At the Forefront of Research
One of the trials Cynthia is most excited about right now is the STRIDE trial, which compares a VP shunt, the standard surgical treatment for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) to a new, less invasive device called the eShunt. NPH affects a patient's gait and cognition, and while it is treatable, the current standard of care requires invasive surgery. The STRIDE trial is studying whether the eShunt can achieve comparable outcomes with less burden on patients.
For Cynthia, the human side of that work came into sharp focus recently when she helped a STRIDE patient and their family navigate a full day of study appointments. "They were just so happy to be part of the trial," she recalls. "Seeing them really want to be involved, and having them say, 'Thank you so much for walking us through this.' Being there for the patients and being able to offer them this exciting new treatment that hopefully improves their daily quality of life felt really rewarding."
It's a feeling she says gets to the heart of why she does this work. "We get to be involved at the forefront — building the research behind new standards of care, new devices. I love being part of that."
Life in New York
After work, Cynthia often connects with her family back on the West Coast. She especially values getting to decompress with her sister, who is a nurse in a neurosurgical unit in Seattle. "It's really nice to be able to debrief with someone who understands exactly what kind of hectic day you might have had."
Outside of work, Cynthia is a cinephile with an AMC A-List membership and a dedication to seeing movies on most weekends. She also loves reality TV and exploring the city's restaurant scene.
Welcome to Weill Cornell Medicine, Cynthia!