My name is Paulina and I’m a third year Global Disease Biology major. I’ve been a part of the Joan Viteri Memorial student-run clinic since I was a freshman and it’s been an incredibly impactful experience. Through the clinic I’ve also become a volunteer at the Stockton Harm Reduction Program where I’ve learned a lot about what makes a good public health intervention. For the past year, I worked as an interviewer for the California Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 case-control study that aimed to better understand vaccine and mask effectiveness, among other things.

Hi! I'm Amber (they/she), a third year Global Disease Biology major! At UC Davis, I'm an administrator for the student-run clinic Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic, the president of the UC Davis Disabled Student Union, and I'm currently conducting research with Brady Labs. The GDB program has given me the opportunity to explore science, public health, and community health through a variety of very cool classes, research, and hands-on experiences. It's been an awesome experience to work in wet labs, clinical settings, and engage in social justice advocacy! 

My name is Maddie Hunt and I am a fourth year GDB Major, graduating spring quarter. I am from a small farming town in the Central Valley named Tulare, where we have more cows than people. Here at UC Davis I am involved in the agricultural sorority on campus, Sigma Alpha. 

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.

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.

Hi, everyone! My name is Alexzandrya Smith, and I am a transfer third year global disease biology major. During my finally year at community college, I took an infectious disease course that really caught my attention and I wanted to learn more about it. Finding the GDB major really started to open my mind more to these ideas, and the classes I have taken fed my interest when it comes to disease.

Hello! My name is Mariah Rubin and I am a 4th year Global Disease Biology (GDB) major and Spanish minor. I knew that I wanted to be a GDB major from the first time I visited UC Davis during Admitted Students’ Day and visited the GDB booth. I came in as an Environmental Science and Management major since I already knew that I care about the planet, but I also had interests in public health. The GDB major has been the perfect program for combining my various interests. I have loved learning about One Health and it has propelled my interests in food security.

Hello everyone! My name is Michael Hsieh, and I’m a third year Global Disease Biology (GDB) major and Technology Management minor. As a person who always wants to know the why and how, after learning about both the challenges women face in healthcare and the critical periods in child brain development, I came to realize how much my mom had to champion for both her health and my health ever since I was a baby. She inspired me to become a women’s and perinatal health advocate.