From DDC to Doctor: Denise De Las Nueces on Blazing a Trail for Latinas in Medicine

An alumna of the beloved Roger Lehecka Double Discovery Center (DDC) program at Columbia University, Denise De Las Nueces (CC'03) is a first-generation Dominican American and a 2008 graduate of Harvard Medical School. At DDC’s 60th Anniversary Gala in October, before an audience of 300 attendees and program alumni, she was honored with the James P. Shenton Award for Excellence, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the education and advancement of college-bound, first-generation students.

Recently, De Las Nueces sat down with Columbia Neighbors to reflect on her journey—from memories of campus life in Morningside Heights to her favorite Uptown spots—and to discuss her passion for advancing representation in medicine.

From Morningside Heights to New England

De Las Nueces’ family emigrated from the Dominican Republic and settled in Washington Heights, a largely immigrant (and more specifically Latino) community where she first learned the value of connection. Because her parents’ formal education ended in grade school, earning a good education became especially important to her, and she recognized its power as a catalyst for opportunity.

During her high school years in Manhattan, she found the Double Discovery Center and enrolled as a student, later serving as a mentor in the program’s Summer Academy while studying at Columbia College.

The values of education, community, and representation for marginalized groups became the pillars of her professional life. It all started here, Uptown.

Memories of Home and Sources of Inspiration

Although De Las Nueces has spent more than a decade in Boston, she still holds close her memories of Washington Heights and the neighborhood favorites from her childhood. Among them: dining with loved ones at Malecon, a family-friendly Dominican restaurant along the 1 train line near West 175th Street.

When asked about the Latinx icons who have inspired her (those whose achievements helped her see the power of representation), she named U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Bronx native Sonia Sotomayor; U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; and award-winning actor, composer, director, and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Finding a Purpose in Community Health

At the start of her career, De Las Nueces began in pediatrics, but community health spoke to her. It “felt like home," she said.

That realization inspired her to apply to primary care internal medicine programs across the country, finally landing at Harvard Medical School. She completed her residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Internal Medicine Residency Program before joining the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership and, later, the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.

Her dedication to identifying and addressing barriers that affect access to care, such as food insecurity and nutritional quality for patients with diabetes, has been central to her work. 

Reforming community health and advancing health policy for marginalized communities has shaped De Las Nueces’ career and remains at the heart of what she does today. 

She also continues to advocate for greater representation of Black and Brown professionals in medicine, noting that underrepresentation persists in medical schools, residencies, and across the health care workforce — a challenge she has navigated throughout her own professional journey.

“There’s no other way out than through," De Las Nueces said.

Denise De Las Nueces and current Double Discovery Center Student Enmanuel Almonte. Photo by Eileen Barroso.

Looking Toward the Future

On Oct. 22, 2025, De Las Nueces joined fellow Double Discovery Center alumni, current students, and Columbia University affiliates to celebrate the organization’s legacy at its 60th Anniversary Gala.

She was among a select group of honorees recognized that evening with the James P. Shenton Award for Excellence, and, in a particularly moving moment, received her award from Enmanuel Almonte, a current DDC student and fellow first-generation Dominican American.

Fellow awardees included Duchesne Drew (CC’89), Senior Vice President and American Media Group President at Minnesota Public Radio, and Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard (CC’93), Senior Vice President of Business Affairs at ABC News. 

De Las Nueces continues to make an impact in her current role while building a new community in Boston — one that differs from the Washington Heights neighborhood she once called home, yet shares the same deep-rooted values of connection, resilience, and care.