January Alumni Spotlight: Ellen Osborn

Hi! My name is Ellen and I am part of GDB’s 2018 graduating class. I transferred into the GDB program from my local community college in Fall 2016 excited to get my first research experience, and it was a huge encouragement that all of my peers in GDB were also pursuing research. It felt like I was part of a diverse, interdisciplinary research community in GDB, a community bolstered by the program’s leadership’s enthusiasm for student research (s/o Dr. Rizzo and Dr. Leveau). After graduating, I decided to postpone med school applications to further explore research as a MS student at UC Davis. On a practical note in case any of y’all reading are considering a similar path, I didn’t find reliable research funding for MS students in my field, so I TA’d for funding, an arrangement that fortunately worked out (not only because I got paid but) because I found teaching extremely rewarding. The MS also worked out for me because it gave ample self-directed time to meet and collaborate with researchers across campus: genomic medicine, religious studies, and science and technology studies (do yourself a favor and take an STS class!). Some bread takes longer to bake, and so taking the time to explore and not rush underbaked into a terminal degree was the best thing I could have done post-undergrad. Though it wasn’t the most efficient timeline, I did feel deeply confident when it came to take my next career step. Now I’m a 2nd year PhD student in Vanderbilt University’s Human Genetics program studying clinical variant interpretation and the relationship between science and society (2nd s/o to Dr. Leveau and SAS 13). I’m also expecting my first baby in the Spring! 

GDB successfully launched me into a research career that I find exciting, challenging, and fulfilling. Best of luck to y’all finding your own career, and always happy to connect ([email protected]).