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)

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.

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.

1020 Sleep and Glycemic Control in Adults With Long-Standing Type 1 Diabetes and Hypoglycemia Unawareness

Perez, N. B., Malone, S., Peleckis, A., Pack, A., Perez, N., Yu, G., Rickels, M., & Goel, N. (2020). In Sleep (Vols. 43, p. A387).
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction Nocturnal hypoglycemia is life threatening for individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) due to loss of hypoglycemia symptom recognition (hypoglycemia unawareness) and impaired glucose counterregulation. These individuals also show disturbed sleep, which may result from glycemic dysregulation. Whether use of a hybrid closed loop (HCL) insulin delivery system with integrated continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) designed for improving glycemic control, relates to better sleep across time in this population remains unknown. Methods Six adults (median age=58y,T1D duration=41y) participated in an 18-month ongoing clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of an HCL system. Sleep and glycemic control were measured concurrently using wrist actigraphs and CGM at baseline (1 week) and months 3 and 6 (3 weeks) following HCL initiation. BMI and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were collected at all timepoints. Spearman???s correlations modeled associations between sleep, BMI, and glycemic control at each time point. Repeated ANOVAs modeled sleep and glycemic control changes from baseline to 3 months and to 6 months. Results Sleep and glycemic control indices showed significant associations at baseline and 3 months. More time-in-bed and later sleep offset related to higher HbA1c levels at baseline. Later sleep onset, midpoint and offset, and greater sleep efficiency associated with greater %time with hyperglycemia (glucose >180 mg/dL) or hypoglycemia (glucose

4292 Epigenetic Age and Depressive Symptoms in African American Women with Cardiometabolic Conditions

Perez, N. B., Perez, N., Vorderstrasse, A., Yu, G., & Taylor, J. (2020). In Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (Vols. 4, p. 108).
Abstract
Abstract
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To examine the relationship between epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and depressive symptoms in a cohort of African American women (AAW) with cardiometabolic conditions (CMC) including hypertension, diabetes, obesity; and to explore clinical phenotypes of depressive symptoms in this population. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This secondary analysis utilized genomic and longitudinal clinical data from AAW in the InterGEN cohort (n = 250). EWAS data was used to estimate EAA based on the Horvath method, which incorporates the DNA methylation statuses at 353 specific CpG sites and regresses this epigenetic age on chronological age to determine EAA. Pearson???s correlations and linear regression will be used to examine the relationship between EAA and depressive symptoms and a linear mixed model will investigate this relationship over four time points during a two-year period. Clinical phenotyping of depressive symptoms will be explored using a cluster analysis. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Analysis is underway and will be complete by the time of presentation. We hypothesize that higher EAA will associate with higher depressive symptoms and poorer trajectories over time. We expect that this relationship may be meditated by the presence of CMCs. Exploratory analysis of clinical phenotyping is expected to provide descriptive evidence with respect to specific depressive symptoms or clusters which are most associated with EAA and CMCs. These results will address several gaps. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relationship of EAA and depressive symptoms considering the role of CMC, in a historically understudied population with disproportionate risk. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Depression limits life quality and quantity and is highly comorbid in CMC. AAW have high risk of comorbidity, and this study furthers knowledge of depression and aging with a clinically accessible marker and aids recognition of a heterogenous phenotype in an undertreated population.

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.