Hi, I’m Airan Sanchez. I have always been interested in learning and understanding diseases that affect different areas around the world because we aren’t directly exposed to them due to the advanced medical technology we have compared to other areas. I am motivated to become a surgeon one day with a big goal of creating a non-profit health organization to provide support and resources to low-resourced communities that lack health care. I have always believed that healthcare should be universal to everyone instead of individuals who either need to pay or have a very low income. When I learned about GDB, the variety of classes caught my attention as it’s a well-rounded major where I got exposed to the general sciences that fulfill my pre-med prerequisites to deeper concepts about diseases and how they affect our everyday lives. With the variety of classes you can take with GDB, you can direct your goals in any direction. 

The best thing about GDB is the practicum where students have the opportunity to get involved in research. I got the opportunity to join a lab where I’ve conducted research in Alzheimer's disease rats treated with ketogenetic diet looking primarily at the citrate synthase levels. Being a part of this lab research for about 2 years furthers my interest in research in similar areas and helps my abilities in being in a lab setting. Being able to conduct research at UC Davis has grown my interest in science and eagerness to find solutions, although I might sound optimistic I hope to find solutions to certain diseases because there are still a lot of questions in the science world and I hope to be a part of that solution. 

I plan on working in a biotech company in the Bay Area where I want to continue growing my experience working in a lab. I plan on taking the MCAT soon and applying to Medical School.