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)

Inequities along the Depression Care Cascade in African American Women: An Integrative Review

Perez, N. B., Perez, N. B., Lanier, Y., & Squires, A. (2021). In Issues in mental health nursing (Vols. 42, Issues 8, pp. 720-729).
Abstract
Abstract
Depression represents a growing health problem and African American women (AAW) disproportionally experience increased risk and broad disparities in health care. This integrative review examines what is known about the equity of depression care provided to AAW. PubMed, PsychINFO, and Web of Science were searched through April 2020 for studies in peer-reviewed journals from 2015 to 2020. Across the studies ( = 7), AAW received inequitable care across a depression care cascade including lower rates of screening, treatment initiation, and guideline-concordant care. Here we explore individual-, relational-, and structural-level factors related to these disparities and implications for research, practice, and education.

A Microbial Relationship Between Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Depressive Symptoms

Perez, N. B., Perez, N. B., Wright, F., & Vorderstrasse, A. (2021). In Biological research for nursing (Vols. 23, Issue 1, pp. 50-64).
Abstract
Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with depressive symptoms, but this relationship is poorly understood. Emerging research suggests that gut microbes are associated with symptoms in persons with IBS. The purpose of this integrative review is to describe the state of the science of the microbial relationship between IBS and depressive symptoms. PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Web of Science were searched using "irritable bowel syndrome," "microbiome," "depression," and related terms. Included articles were published in peer reviewed journals in English from 2009 to 2018. Studies on inflammatory bowel conditions, extra-intestinal microbiomes, or animal models were excluded. Fourteen quantitative studies met inclusion criteria, were critically appraised, and were analyzed using the Whittemore and Knafl method. Analysis revealed a consistently lower microbial biodiversity and lower proportions of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in persons with IBS and co-occurring depressive symptoms. Inclusion of participants with moderate or greater depressive symptoms scores distinguished the studies which reported microbe differences in depressive symptoms. The results of this integrative review underscore the need for studies with larger samples and inclusion of a larger range of depressive symptoms guided by an overarching conceptual framework, such as the biopsychosocial ecology framework. This effort needs to be combined with longitudinal designs in order to identify related microbial markers.

Dysbiosis of the Gut Microbiome: A Concept Analysis

Perez, N. B., Perez, N. B., Dorsen, C., & Squires, A. (2020). In Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses’ Association (Vols. 38, Issues 2, pp. 223-232).
Abstract
Abstract
Gut microbes influence the development several chronic conditions marking them as targets for holistic care, prevention strategies, and potential treatments. Microbiome studies are relatively new to health research and present unfamiliar terms to clinicians and researchers. "Dysbiosis" often refers to an alteration in the gut microbiome, but conceptual clarification is rarely provided. The purpose of this study is to refine a conceptual definition of dysbiosis based on a review of nursing literature. A Rodgerian approach to concept analysis was used. CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science were queried using "dysbiosis" through December 2018. Each article was analyzed with regard to the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of dysbiosis. Essential elements were tabulated and compared across studies to determine recurring themes and notable outliers. Analysis revealed several important antecedences, attributes, and consequences of dysbiosis. The findings also elucidated notable gaps and highlighted the co-evolving nature of the proposed definition with advances in microbiome research. This article adds a proposed definition of dysbiosis, offering a contribution of conceptual clarity upon which to enhance dialogue and build research. The definition emphasizes risk factors and consequences of dysbiosis as implications for holistic nursing practice.