March Alumni Spotlight: Madison Aguilar

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.

That mindset has influenced every step of my path—from becoming a combat life saver in the Army, where understanding physiology and quick decision-making is essential, to working as an embryologist, and now transitioning into surgical pathology at Stanford. The major didn’t just give me technical knowledge; it shaped my ability to integrate big-picture thinking with hands-on clinical and laboratory skills. It ultimately guided me toward roles where understanding disease from multiple levels—cellular to environmental—truly matters, whether I’m providing immediate care in a military setting or analyzing tissue in a pathology lab.

GDB was the best thing to happen to me and I am forever grateful.