Andrew Farinha ’17: Finding His Path in Science

Long before he stepped into a lab, Andrew Farinha ’17 was drawn to animals — and to science.

Growing up in Fall River, Massachusetts, the son of Portuguese immigrants, Farinha was surrounded by pets, family stories of raising goats and chickens, and an early fascination with biology. “For a long time, I actually wanted to be a marine biologist,” he said. But when it came time to choose a college, veterinary medicine seemed like a more practical path. That led him to Emmanuel College—a choice that would chart the course of his career.

“I didn’t want to go to a huge university where I might just be a number,” Farinha recalled. “At Emmanuel, the small classes and personal relationships with professors really stood out.” On his campus visit, he met faculty and explored the labs where he would soon spend long hours conducting research. “It just felt like the right fit.”

It was more than the right fit—it was a career-defining decision.

The Power of Mentorship

The Emmanuel experience is built on personal attention and community, and for Farinha, that meant professors who took an active role in guiding him—both academically and professionally. His first major turning point came courtesy of Dr. Padraig Deighan, Associate Professor of Biology and the Dean of the School of Science and Health.

“My wife, Dominique, who I met at Emmanuel, told me I had to take his microbiology class. She was right—it was amazing,” Farinha said. Deighan’s class introduced him to the world of bacteria and viruses, a world that would eventually pull him away from veterinary medicine and into research.

When internship opportunities in veterinary clinics proved scarce, Deighan offered Farinha a spot on his research team. That summer project — studying phage genes toxic to bacteria related to tuberculosis — became the foundation for the Paul Shannahan Wenger CURE Laboratory, a course-based undergraduate research experience now offered to all first-year biology majors at Emmanuel. “We designed protocols that could be used by students with no prior lab experience. It’s pretty cool to know that piece of my work is still being used,” Farinha said.

But perhaps more importantly, it also planted a seed: that a career in research could be just as fulfilling as one in clinical practice. “Working with Padraig really changed my career trajectory,” Farinha said. “He became a true mentor and friend. One class with him essentially launched my entire career.”

The research wasn’t limited to Deighan’s lab. Farinha credits Emmanuel’s entire biology faculty with helping him build the technical skills that would carry him through years of graduate study. In Experimental Biology with Dr. Jason Kuehner, Associate Professor of Biology, he learned PCR cloning, transformation, and aseptic technique—skills he would later rely on heavily in his Ph.D. program.

After graduating in 2017, Farinha took a job at MSPCA-Angell West in Waltham, working overnight shifts as an emergency clinical care attendant. While the work provided valuable hands-on experience, the grueling schedule—and the financial realities of veterinary medicine—left him questioning his long-term plans.

Over coffee, Deighan helped him consider alternatives: microbiology, immunology, cancer research. “He walked me through the different fields, the application process—everything,” Farinha said. He even returned to Emmanuel’s Academic Resource Center for help refining his personal statement in his Ph.D. applications.

Ultimately, Farinha was accepted to several Ph.D. programs but chose Northeastern University, where he joined the lab of Dr. Edward Geisinger. There, he spent six years studying Acinetobacter baumannii, a multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogen that has plagued hospitals—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My research focused on how this bacteria divides, identifying unique targets that could eventually be used to develop new therapies,” Farinha explained. “It’s a tough pathogen, and understanding how it works is the first step toward finding better treatments.”

New Frontiers: Immunology and Beyond

After earning his Ph.D. in 2024, Farinha accepted a fellowship at the Ocean State Research Institute, affiliated with the VA Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island. There, he works with cardiologist Dr. Alan Morrison, studying how immune cells called macrophages could one day be harnessed to repair damaged blood vessels, particularly in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The shift into immunology reflects Farinha’s evolving scientific interests. “Long-term, I’d love to continue bridging immunology with infectious disease and cancer biology,” he said, noting the promising advances in cancer immunotherapy. “The idea of using the immune system to fight cancer is fascinating. It’s an exciting time to be in this field.”

He recently earned a prestigious T32 Fellowship, a training grant through the National Institutes of Health, at Brown University Health to continue this line of research—a highly competitive award.

An Emmanuel Foundation

Through every step, Farinha says the foundation built at Emmanuel has been indispensable. “The hands-on lab work I did as an undergrad gave me a huge advantage when I started my Ph.D. I didn’t have to learn basic techniques—I was already comfortable at the bench.”

He also points to the college’s close-knit community as a major factor in his success. “Having professors who know you personally, who care about your goals—that makes all the difference. Emmanuel isn’t just a place where you take classes. It’s a place where people invest in you.”

His advice to current students echoes that experience: “Get as much research experience as you can early on, whether on campus or through your professors’ networks. And don’t be afraid to ask for guidance. Emmanuel faculty are an incredible resource.”

For Farinha, the Emmanuel network remains part of his life. He’s still close with Deighan and even referees soccer games where Deighan’s kids play. “We joke around on the sidelines. That’s the Emmanuel community—it stays with you.”