Global Disease Biology

Hello :) I am a newly licensed and certified genetic counselor working in the cardiovascular department at Stanford. I graduated from the GDB major in the spring of 2020 and from UC Irvine’s genetic counseling program in the fall of 2022. While at UC Davis, I was initially a pharmaceutical chemistry major until I took GDB 90 and was immediately captivated by rare, infectious, and inherited diseases. I spent the next few years in Global Disease Biology pursuing classes with a genetic emphasis, which undoubtedly helped me with those critical experimental years of professional self-discovery.

Hello everyone! I’m Austin Tarumoto (they/them). I graduated with a Global Disease Biology major and a Community Development minor in Spring of 2020. I was first interested in the major because of how interdisciplinary it was and how it allowed me to explore my interest in the intersection of advocacy, social justice, and public health. While at Davis, I was a tutor, a peer educator at the Cross Cultural Center, and the Identity Development Coordinator with BRIDGE: Pilipinx Outreach and Retention at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center.

Hello everyone! I’m Crystal Ngo Diaz (she/her) and I’m a very proud GDB alumna! I completed my degree in three years in spring 2022 and am an incoming physician assistant student at Point Loma Nazarene University! Reflecting on my time at UC Davis, I am incredibly grateful to my high school self who chose GDB. The major provided me with the flexibility to explore diverse pathways in the sciences and ultimately led me to the pre-PA route. Most importantly, the GDB community has been an invaluable part of my journey.

My name is Meaghan Woody and I graduated with the GDB major in Fall 2018 after transferring from Santa Rosa Junior College. Currently, I am a first-year PhD student in Community Health Sciences at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. My pathway to PhD was not linear and I am so glad GDB exposed me to many diverse fields of research. The unique and multidisciplinary curriculum of GDB allowed me to connect with people from plant pathology and public health, which grew my network of mentors, colleagues, and friends.

My name is Emmet, and I am so glad I decided to major in Global Disease Biology at UC Davis! When I first started my undergraduate degree, I thought I wanted to go to medical school. I did not know what other career options I could pursue with my interest in infectious diseases. Thanks to the GDB major, I was able to explore many different career options with some amazing faculty. The GDB practicum in particular helped me join a lab and get hands on research experience, which is how I fell in love with parasitology!

Hello Everyone!! My name is Anna Francisco but I usually go by my nickname, Nikki. I graduated from the Global Disease Biology major in the Spring of 2018. I always had an interest in studying diseases since I was young and it was no surprise that I wanted to pursue a career out of it. As a transfer student, it was hard narrowing down majors that I could explore my interests in but when I found out about the Global Disease Biology major, I knew that the curriculum aligned perfectly with what I wanted to get out of my bachelor's.

Our October 2023 Alumni Spotlight highlights Obinna Okechukwu Nduka; read more about Obinna and his GDB journey below: 

Hello! My name is Mariah (she/her) and I graduated from the Global Disease Biology major with a minor in Spanish in the spring of 2021. While at UC Davis, I was the partner coordinator for the Fresh Focus food access program at the Student Farm, student representative on the UCD Basic Needs Committee, volunteered with the student-run Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic, and worked as a research assistant on a community-based needs assessment for the Sacramento County Food Bank and Family Services and their partner organizations.

Hi, folks! I’m Darlene Tran (she/her) and I’m incredibly proud to be an alumnus of GDB. Since graduating in spring 2018, I spent a few years as a Life Science Research Professional at Stanford OBGYN, where I worked on submitting an investigational new drug application to the FDA for a stem cell-based therapy for stress urinary incontinence. I, like many college seniors, wasn’t sure what career I wanted to pursue when I graduated. I’m glad I took the time to work, travel, and figure out what work excites me.

Happy Spring, everyone! My name is Jennifer Loza (she/her) and I graduated in the Class of 2020 with a degree in Global Disease Biology and a minor in Political Science. As a transfer student, I knew I wanted to make the most out of my limited time at UC Davis. Being a GDB major granted me the freedom to explore my interests in both public health and the sciences. I participated in the UCDC Program where I had the opportunity to intern in the House of Representatives with Congressman Eric Swalwell.