Michelle Villegas-Downs, PhD
Human Development Nursing Science
Bridge to Faculty Postdoctoral Research Associate
Pronouns: she/her
About
Michelle Villegas-Downs, a first-generation Mexican American, is the first in her family to earn a PhD. Raised in the Hermosa community of Chicago, she navigated language and socioeconomic barriers to excel academically. Michelle earned her bachelor's in science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her master’s in science from DePaul University. While nursing was not her first profession, encountering discrimination in healthcare ignited her passion for change, leading her to pursue nursing. Specializing in women and children, Michelle has made a profound impact through her expertise and compassion.
To continue her journey toward leadership in nursing, Michelle enrolled in graduate school at the University of Illinois Chicago to pursue her doctorate. Her dedication was recognized with the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health. This highly competitive grant, awarded to fewer than 30% of applicants, was secured on her first attempt. Michelle's program of research focuses on postpartum cervical remodeling and its implications for recurrent spontaneous preterm birth. Using Quantitative ultrasound technology, she aims to develop precision-health approaches for recurrent spontaneous preterm birth prediction and prevention. Ultimately, her work has the potential to transform maternal and neonatal health outcomes and she is excited to continue her program of research as a Bridge to Faculty Scholar.