Hi everyone, my name is Michelle Esse, and I am graduating this spring as a Global Disease Biology major with minors in Medical Humanities & Public Health. Within my first quarter at UC Davis, I was already convinced to switch into the Global Disease Biology major. I loved how integrative the program was - I could imagine myself in many different career paths working towards the same goal of advancing healthcare. It provided a strong foundation in the sciences, which I loved, but also a holistic understanding of what shapes community health.

My name is Gio, I am a transfer student from CCSF and am currently in my third year at UC Davis. I was originally a Biotechnology Major, but after taking Disease and Society I decided to change my major to Global Disease Biology. I am currently working towards getting a minor in Public Health. 

Hello everyone! My name is Olivia (she/her/hers), I graduated in 2018 with a B.S. in Global Disease Biology and a B.A. in Art History. I was fortunate enough to be at UC Davis when the GDB major was first introduced, and it has made a significant impact on my life and career.  It was here that I first learned about One Health, and became interested in the connection between human, animal and environmental health. There are many skills I gained from various GDB courses, especially collaboration via group projects.

Hi everyone! I’m Sarah Azrin and I’m a third year GDB major and Education minor from Southington, Connecticut.

Happy March! For this episode, I had the privilege of interviewing the wonderful Rachel Arndt! Rachel's Practicum title is "Socioeconomic Disparities in Healthcare Access and Health-Related Quality of Life Among California Children with Asthma." She completed her project under the guidance of PI Dr. Julie T. Bidwell, Ph.D., R.N.

Hey everyone! My name is Arvind and I’m a fifth-year transfer student. I chose GDB as my major because it offered a unique, integrated way to look at healthcare. I’ve really enjoyed learning through that broader lens and seeing how human health connects with public health and the environment. The GDB faculty and advising team have made a huge impact on my time here, they’ve been incredibly welcoming, supportive, and have helped me find opportunities I never would’ve discovered on my own.

Global Disease Biology shaped the way I see health—not as isolated human symptoms, but as an interconnected system involving people, animals, plants, and the environment. That perspective gave me a strong scientific foundation in microbiology, epidemiology, and the One Health framework, helping me understand how diseases emerge, spread, and affect populations. It trained me to think analytically about complex biological problems and to consider root causes rather than just outcomes.

Happy February! For this episode, I had the honor of interviewing the lovely Quidi (Judy) Cheng! Quidi's Practicum title is "Establishing a CRISPR/Cas9 System in Mimulus guttatus Targeting the Short Root (SHR) Gene." She completed her project under the guidance of PI Dr. Siobhan Brady.

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