December Student of the Month: Brianna Vargas

Hello! My name is Brianna Vargas, and I am currently a fourth-year Global Disease Biology student. My career goal is to become a physician, with particular interest in emergency medicine and orthopedic surgery. Last year, I earned my EMT license and began working in interfacility transport. After sustaining a knee injury that prevented me from working, I began volunteering for the UC Davis EMT program, where I help teach essential skills to EMTs in training. For my GDB practicum project, I worked in the Tan Lab on optimizing a step in a process designed to produce a new type of vaccine. I am also a member of MEDLIFE, a club dedicated to providing healthcare and community support to rural areas in developing countries in a culturally respectful way.

I switched into GDB during my second year after discovering the major in the course Disease and Society. The way that microscopic organisms and particles wreck global havoc through interactions at the cellular level can only be described as a devastating beauty. In addition to my fascination with disease, I value the logic puzzle that is One Health, how we look at every angle to figure out what needs to be addressed, rather than solely treating the disease itself. I aspire to bring this mindset into my medical career—to treat the person, not just the symptoms. GDB’s tight-knit and diverse community has enriched my college experience, and I wholeheartedly encourage others to join this incredible program.