The GDB Advising Team has complied some helpful resources from UC Davis and beyond to help you stay informed and find the support you need in these uncertain times. Please take advantage of these resources and feel free to reach out to our office if you have any questions.
Hello! I’m Madeline Albert, and I graduated in 2022 with a BS in Global Disease Biology. My academic journey at UC Davis began with a strong interest in science, particularly in human health and medicine. Initially, I started as a general Biological Sciences major, but everything changed when I took the course SAS 13: Disease and Society with Dr. Sara Dye. This course introduced me to the GDB major and ignited my passion for public health and infectious diseases. I was particularly drawn to its focus on One Health and the emphasis on undergraduate research.
My name is Emma and I’m a 3rd year GDB major! To me, this major means changing your perspective to see the interwoven aspects of health. I love how customizable GDB is as the restrictive electives allow us to specify our interests and look at disease from so many different angles. The GDB curriculum has given me an interdisciplinary understanding of disease as well as a solid foundation in biology that will help me contribute to improving our society’s health issues.
Hello! My name is Jocelyn Kirley and I graduated from UC Davis in 2019 with my BS in Global Disease Biology. As an incoming freshman in 2015, I was immediately drawn to the One Health model that guides the program and allowed me to put my passions of human health and social justice together. I worked with Dr.
Dr. Monfared is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the Molecular and Cellular Biology department. She enjoys doing scholarly research in her classroom and using data from students to see what works and doesn’t work in the classroom. She teaches BIS102 and BIS103 (both Biochemistry courses) regularly. She is also the co-Director of the FUSE program, which provides pedagogy training to graduate students who want to become professors.
This month’s episode features fourth-year GDB student, Adriana Vasquez (she/her). Adriana's practicum project is titled “Assessing Male vs Female Collagen Production Following a Burn Injury Via Masson's Trichrome Stain.” She completed her practicum project with her mentor, Dr. Athena Soulika from the Shriners Hospital Department of Dermatology.
Hi! I’m Emily, one of your GDB Peer Advisors, and one of my favorite parts of this job is being able to connect and relate with other GDB students. My status as a student at UC Davis makes me better equipped to answer student’s questions about the difficulty of certain classes or professors, and what on-campus resources I’d recommend. If you’ve had an appointment with me, and especially if I’ve helped you with an academic plan, you can probably tell that I prioritize mental health, and encourage students to do what works best for their goals and well-being.
Human health is an important part of the One Health triad. Incorporating One Health methods in human healthcare can expand healthcare workers’ understanding of the health issues affecting the individuals, communities, or populations they are working with. A One Health approach encourages healthcare professionals to consider the entire person/people they are working with in the context of their environment.
This month’s episode features fourth-year GDB student, Rachel Jang (she/her). Rachel's practicum project is titled “Combined Drought and Salinity Stress Enhances Fluorescence Signaling in Pistachio Root.” She completed her practicum project with her mentor, Dr. Georgia Drakakaki from the Department of Plant Sciences.
