Hello all, my name is Andrea Guggenbickler (she/her/hers). My partner and I live in Woodland, CA with our three cats (Butters, Toast, and Doctor Professor Stripey Pants). I graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Global Disease Biology in 2018. During my time as a Global Disease Biology student I focused my research and studies on both GDB and public health efforts- specifically Herpes Simplex Virus 2 vaccine development research and menstrual hygiene product access research.
This week on Practicum Pods, we have the pleasure of speaking with Valerie Nyasimi (she/her), a fourth-year Global Disease Biology student working on her GDB Practicum Project in Dr. Douglas Cook's lab under the Department of Plant Pathology. Her project is titled "Efficacy of the bacterial metabolite 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol in controlling the Chickpea pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum."
In this episode, we feature Lois Kang, a 4th year Global Disease Biology student currently researching the topic of "Gene List of Potential Application of CNKSR2 Genetic Therapeutic Intervention" with Dr. Joseph Shen [email protected] and Leigh Ann Higa [email protected]. Lois is interested in pursuing Genetic Counseling as a career and is using her Practicum experience to explore this option further!
Hi everyone! My name is Valerie Nyasimi, I am a transfer 4th year Global Disease Biology major. I learned about my major through the recommendation a friend gave. She had minored in it during her time in Davis. I did my research, and I was really impressed by the One Health approach in which the major is structured, because of that I decided to pursue my bachelor’s in the major. The GDB major has provided me with a better outlook on how we humans, plants, and animals are all connected which is something that was not really emphasized in my prior college years.
Hello! I am Alisa Chernikova, a third year here at UC Davis. If you think back to your very first year at Davis, you may remember the large pamphlet you were given with all of the various majors offered at this school. Since I had my mind set on studying diseases, I knew immediately that GDB was the right fit for me. However I never expected how much I would fall in love with this major.
Hi current Global Disease Biology students! My name is Allison Berkowitz. As an alum, I can look back at my time at Davis and see I really was trying to figure out, what drives health? This took me on a wild journey of classes from Psychology to Nutrition to Sociology and even Economics, which I ended up double majoring in. I took a range of internships. Nutrition? Interned as a lab assistant and transposed French dietary details focused on maternal and children health in Niger, Africa under Dr. K. Ryan Wessells and Dr. Sonya Y. Hess. Political? Interned for Congressman John Garamendi.
Congratulations to our graduating seniors who received Department Citation Awards for Spring 2021!
Outstanding Performance and 2021 College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Medal
Claire Chapman
“It has been an honor to study Global Disease Biology beside such motivated and passionate peers. Congratulations to all the graduates and thank you to everyone who helped me get here.”
Dr. Tiffany Lowe-Power is a professor of the Plant Pathology department at UC Davis. In her lab, Dr. Lowe-Power studies plant bacteriology, especially the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearumadapts to, survives in, and causes disease in host plants.
In this episode, we feature Omar Garcia (he/him), a 4th year Global Disease Biology student currently researching the question, "Does the neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) you have affect the diagnosis, treatment, and accompanying social services that you receive?" with a hypothesis of: "Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, specifically those with low socioeconomic and historically underrepresented groups, experience a larger disparity in access to diagnosis, treatment and accompanying social services than individuals with other NDD." Learn about Omar's research experience in Episode 6 of the Practicum Pod!
Dr. Joanne Emerson is a professor of the Plant Pathology department at UC Davis who teaches GDB 187 and SAS 13. In her lab, Dr. Emerson studies viral communities and their influences on host ecology and biogeochemistry in a variety of environments, including soil and plant-associated ecosystems.
Hello, GDB community! My name is Jason and I’m a senior transfer student in the Global Disease Biology major. Growing up I wanted to help communities by applying knowledge and skill sets to solve complex questions, and the GDB program has taught me that this often calls for an approach that integrates diverse schools of thought. I hope to apply this understanding to the future as I continue studying in graduate school and beyond. Being able to grow at Davis, work in a lab setting to learn methods and procedures and how they contribute to the scientific method, is a surreal experience.
Episode 5 features Vanshika Desai (she/her), a fourth-year GDB student who is currently completing her research on "Analyzing the Barriers to Implementing Effective Mental Health Programs in Rural Communities." Hear more about Vanshika's experience in the GDB Office's May 2021 Practicum Pod!
