Nicole Beaulieu Perez

Faculty

Nicole Perez Headshot

Nicole Beaulieu Perez

PhD RN PMHNP

1 212 992 9426

433 FIRST AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10010
United States

Nicole Beaulieu Perez, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, committed to advancing precision mental health care. Her research examines the social and biological roots of depression in women with chronic conditions, particularly women living with HIV. When concurrent with HIV, depression’s lack of biomarkers and heterogeneous presentations make it easy to overlook, leading to lower quality of life and premature mortality. Prof. Perez’s interdisciplinary work integrates her expertise in clinical psychiatry, ‘omics’ (such as epigenetics and gut microbiome), and advanced statistical methods to parse distinct depression phenotypes, ultimately improving early clinical detection and developing more effective, personalized treatments.  

Currently, Perez is the principal investigator of the ReDiMMH Study, a K08 award funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, where she investigates the biology (epigenetic aging, gut microbiome, neurobiology) underlying the connections between poverty, depression, and metabolic health among women with or at risk for HIV. She received the NYU P20 Center pilot award funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, through which she identified different depressive symptom phenotypes and examined inflammatory and epigenetic biomarkers associated with depressive symptoms in women with and without HIV with type 2 diabetes. She has published extensively on the intersection of depression and chronic illnesses, issues in depression assessment, and disparities in mental health care. Her research has been featured in HuffPost, Fortune, and The Independent. 

Before joining the NYU faculty, Perez completed postdoctoral training at NYU Meyers Center for Precision Health in Diverse Populations and a TL1-funded predoctoral fellowship through NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute. For over a decade, Perez has worked as a psychiatric nurse and nurse practitioner in various settings, including inpatient, outpatient, residential, and telehealth environments—experiences that fuel her ongoing dedication to transforming mental health care.  

PhD in Nursing Research and Theory Development, New York University
MSN in Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Nursing, University of Florida
BSN in Professional Nursing, University of Florida
Depression
Health Disparities
HIV/AIDS
Mental health
Omics-Epigenetics and Gut Microbiome
Precision Health
Women's health
American Academy of Nursing
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
Eastern Nursing Research Society
International Society of Nurses in Genetics
International Society of Psychiatric Nurses
Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society
New York Academy of Sciences
New York Academy of Medicine
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
Distinguished PhD Student Award, NYU Meyers (2021)
Board of Directors Scholarship, American Psychiatric Nurses Association (2020)
Alumnae Association Scholarship, Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing (2020)
Ellen D. Baer Scholarship, NYU Meyers (2020)
Pauline Greenridge Scholarship, NYU Meyers (2019)
Fred Schmidt Scholarship, NYU Meyers (2019)
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Scholar, Barbara Jonas Foundation (2017)
Rose Rivers’ Leadership Fellow, University of Florida Health (2012)
Excellence in Research Award, University of Florida (2011)
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Inductee, University of Florida (2010)

Heterogeneous depressive symptom trajectories among women with type 2 diabetes : findings from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study

Perez, N. B., Melkus, G. D., Fletcher, J., Allen-Watts, K., Jones, D. L., Collins, L. F., Ramirez, C., Long, A., Cohen, M. H., Merenstein, D., Wilson, T. E., Sharma, A., & Aouizerat, B. E. (2025). In Annals of Behavioral Medicine (Vols. 59, Issue 1). 10.1093/abm/kaae080
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Depression affects 33% of women with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and leads to increased risks of premature mortality. Fluctuation and variation of depressive presentations can hinder clinical identification. Purpose: We aimed to identify and examine subgroups characterized by distinct depressive symptom trajectories among women with T2D. Methods: This retrospective analysis leveraged the Women’s Interagency HIV Study data to identify depressive symptom trajectories based on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scores (2014-2019) among women with and without HIV. Descriptive statistics characterized sample demographics (eg, age, race, income), clinical indices (eg, hemoglobin A1C [HbA1c], BMI, HIV status), and psychosocial experiences (eg, discrimination, social support, anxiety, pain). We used growth mixture modeling to identify groups defined by distinct depressive symptom trajectories and parametric and non-parametric tests to examine demographic, clinical, and psychosocial differences across subgroups. Results: Among the 630 women included, the mean age was 50.4 (SD = 8.3) years, 72.4% identified as Black and non-Hispanic, and 68.2% were living with HIV. Five subgroups were identified and distinguished by severity and symptom type. Participants with lower incomes (P = .01), lower employment (P < .0001), lower social support (P = .0001), and experiences of discrimination (P < .0001) showed greater membership in threshold, moderate, and severe depressive subgroups. Subgroup membership was not associated with metabolic indices (BMI, HbA1c) or HIV status. Anxiety, pain, and loneliness (all P = .0001) were worse in subgroups with higher depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Among women with T2D, depressive symptom trajectories differ across clinical and social contexts. This study advances precision by delineating subgroups within a broad clinical category.

Epigenome-Wide Association Study of Depressive Symptoms in Black Women in the InterGEN Study

Taylor, B., Zhao, Y., Perez, N. B., Potts-Thompson, S., Crusto, C., Creber, R. M., & Taylor, J. (2024). In International journal of molecular sciences (Vols. 25, Issues 14). 10.3390/ijms25147681
Abstract
Abstract
(1) The prevalence of depression is two times higher in women than men. Black women have an increased risk of depression due to stressors such as low socioeconomic status and perceived discrimination. Depression is likely influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Psychosocial stressors can influence DNA methylation (DNAm), leading to changes in gene expression and ultimately, depression. The objective of this study was to examine associations between DNAm and depressive symptoms in Black women. (2) This study was a secondary analysis of data from the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure (InterGEN) Study. Perceived discrimination was assessed using Krieger’s Experiences of Discrimination and Waelde’s Race-Related Events Scale, and participants were screened for depressive symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory. Raw data from saliva samples were analyzed using the Illumina Infinium Epic (850 K) BeadChip and then preprocessed in RStudio. (3) Differential methylation analysis identified DNAm sites and regions associated with depressive symptoms. Six DNAm sites had a q-value less than 0.05. Additionally, of the 25 regions identified, 12 were associated with neurological diseases or disorders. (4) These findings suggest that there is a neurological component to depression, which should be considered during treatment.

Heterogeneous depressive symptom trajectories among women with type 2 diabetes: findings from the Women's Interagency HIV Study

Perez, N. B., Perez, N. B. B., D’Eramo Melkus, G., Fletcher, J., Allen-Watts, K., Jones, D. L., Collins, L. F., Ramirez, C., Long, A., Cohen, M. H., Merenstein, D., Wilson, T. E., Sharma, A., & Aouizerat, B. (2024). In Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Abstract
Abstract
Depression affects 33% of women with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and leads to increased risks of premature mortality. Fluctuation and variation of depressive presentations can hinder clinical identification.

Social determinants of inflammatory markers linking depression and type 2 diabetes among women : A scoping review

Perez, N. B., He, N., Wright, F., Condon, E., Weiser, S., & Aouizerat, B. E. (2024). In Journal of Psychosomatic Research (Vols. 184). 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111831
Abstract
Abstract
Objective: Inflammation is implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and is linked to social determinants of health (SDoH) associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. The objective of this review is to identify and map the range of SDoHs associated with inflammation in depression, T2D, or their co-occurrence among women. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Web of Science were searched March–July 2023 to identify studies where 1) an SDoH was a predictor or independent variable, 2) depression or T2D was a clinical focus, 3) inflammatory markers were collected, and 4) analysis was specific to women. We used the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities research framework to guide searching SDoHs, organize findings, and identify gaps. Results: Of the 1135 studies retrieved, 46 met criteria. Within the reviewed studies, the most used inflammatory measures were C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and the most studied SDoHs were early life stress and socioeconomic status. Individual and interpersonal-level variables comprised the bulk of SDoHs in the included studies, while few to no studies examined built environment (n = 6) or health system level (n = 0) factors. Disadvantageous SDoHs were associated with higher levels of inflammation across the included studies. Conclusion: The scope and intersection of depression and T2D represent a syndemic that contributes to and results from socioeconomic inequities and disproportionately affects women. Simultaneous inclusion of social and inflammatory measures, particularly understudied SDoHs, is needed to clarify potent targets aimed at advancing health and equity.

Latent Class Analysis of Depressive Symptom Phenotypes Among Black/African American Mothers

Perez, N. B., Perez, N. B., D’Eramo Melkus, G., Wright, F., Yu, G., Vorderstrasse, A. A. A., Sun, Y. V., Crusto, C. A., & Taylor, J. Y. (2023). In Nursing research (Vols. 72, Issues 2, pp. 93-102).
Abstract
Abstract
Depression is a growing global problem with significant individual and societal costs. Despite their consequences, depressive symptoms are poorly recognized and undertreated because wide variation in symptom presentation limits clinical identification-particularly among African American (AA) women-an understudied population at an increased risk of health inequity.

Racial Differences in Treatment Response to a Sleep Extension Intervention

Hu, J., Vaughan Dickson, V., Perez, N. B., Patterson, F., Grunin, L., Goyal, C., Munroe, K., & Melkus, G. D. (2023).
Abstract
Abstract
~

Study Protocol Using Cohort Data and Latent Variable Modeling to Guide Sampling Women With Type 2 Diabetes and Depressive Symptoms

Perez, N. B., Perez, N. B., D’Eramo Melkus, G., Yu, G., Brown-Friday, J., Anastos, K., & Aouizerat, B. (2023). In Nursing research (Vols. 72, Issues 5, pp. 409-415).
Abstract
Abstract
Depression affects one in three women with Type 2 diabetes, and this concurrence significantly increases the risks of diabetes complications, disability, and early mortality. Depression is underrecognized because of wide variation in presentation and the lack of diagnostic biomarkers. Converging evidence suggests inflammation is a shared biological pathway in diabetes and depression. Overlapping epigenetic associations and social determinants of diabetes and depression implicate inflammatory pathways as a common thread.

Taking Mental Health Seriously

Perez, N. B., & Melkus, G. D. (2023). In American Journal of Nursing (Vols. 123, Issues 11, p. 11). 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000995292.48889.ed
Abstract
Abstract
~

Associations Between DNA Methylation Age Acceleration, Depressive Symptoms, and Cardiometabolic Traits in African American Mothers From the InterGEN Study

Perez, N. B., Perez, N. B., Vorderstrasse, A. A. A., Yu, G., Melkus, G. D., Wright, F., Ginsberg, S. D., Crusto, C. A., Sun, Y. V., & Taylor, J. Y. (2022). In Epigenetics insights (Vols. 15, p. 25168657221109781).
Abstract
Abstract
African American women (AAW) have a high risk of both cardiometabolic (CM) illness and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms co-occur in individuals with CM illness at higher rates than the general population, and accelerated aging may explain this. In this secondary analysis, we examined associations between age acceleration; depressive symptoms; and CM traits (hypertension, diabetes mellitus [DM], and obesity) in a cohort of AAW.

Gut Microbiota and Depressive Symptoms at the End of CRT for Rectal Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

Perez, N. B., Gonzalez-Mercado, V. J., Lim, J., Saligan, L. N., Perez, N., Rodriguez, C., Bernabe, R., Ozorio, S., Pedro, E., Sepehri, F., & Aouizerat, B. (2021). In Depression research and treatment (Vols. 2021, p. 7967552).
Abstract
Abstract
The role of alterations in gut microbiota composition (termed dysbiosis) has been implicated in the pathobiology of depressive symptoms; however, evidence remains limited. This cross-sectional pilot study is aimed at exploring whether depressive symptom scores changed during neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy to treat rectal cancer, and if gut microbial taxa abundances and predicted functional pathways correlate with depressive symptoms at the end of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.