Yoori Cho

Immigrating to the U.S. from Korea in 2009 as a fifth grader took the normally outgoing Yoori by surprise due to the language and cultural barriers. Today, the Marshall College Biochemistry and Cell Biology major says she and her family have come a long way. She speaks English fluently and is more accustomed to the American culture than that of Korea. “There were times I wished I had stayed in Korea, in a familiar environment, speaking comfortable language and not feeling like a foreigner. However, now I realize that without all the challenges I had to face and overcome, I would not have had a chance to grow and become the person that I am right now. Instead of feeling unconfident like my younger self, I want to be proud of my immigrant background and use it to help those who are in a similar situation.”

There have been other challenges for her family; one, in particular, that has led to her desire to study medicine: “My younger brother's medical condition inspired me to dream of becoming a doctor. I wanted to know more and there had to be more that I could do. I believe in the dignity of every human life, but I’ve seen too many people not being able to get the health care that they need and deserve, especially in medically underserved communities I volunteer for. I want to become the person who can provide the medical care to the patients, like my brother, and their families."

As Yoori continues with her premedical path at UC San Diego, her classes excite her. “I find joy in understanding how the organs, hormones and various homeostatic mechanisms work together to regulate the human body.” Learning in the classroom wasn’t enough, and she was intrigued by research on liver metabolism and loved working in a lab to learn more. Now she spends 10 to 15 hours each week in a lab at UCSD School of Medicine. “The more time I spend in the lab, the more I learn to take pride and find value in the work that I do, from every pipette drop to genotyping. Last summer (2019), I spent the entire summer conducting my own research project, finding the role of hepatic TBK1 in the regulation of mitophagy. This was an opportunity to not only strengthen my career in research but also take part in advancing the field of biomedicine. I presented my research at the National Collegiate Research Conference at Harvard University.”

Besides research, Yoori has found time to volunteer with Healing Hands, a UC San Diego student organization with the homeless in San Diego. She is surprised by the preconceptions that are rarely true. “There are times when uncontrollable life circumstances overcome our true intention. Through volunteering, I learned that the people in need were and are no different from the people who can provide help.”