Ella McLaren

The chance to acquire hands-on experience and contribute to scientific research which has the potential to help countless people is something Ella has dreamt about for years. The Revelle College and Molecular and Cell Biology major has worked two scientific jobs while at UC San Diego to help make her dream of eventually earning an MD/PHD a reality. In the Ghosh Lab in the UC San Diego School of Medicine earlier this year, she successfully presented findings over a Zoom presentation. “I went from being a shy high school student who could hardly project her voice to presenting with passion in front of a group of scientists.”

Ella’s scientific passion comes from her love of puzzles. “The kind of puzzles I enjoy are ones where we cannot perfectly predict what the final result will be, puzzles where we do not already have the pieces laid out before us. The puzzles I love are biological enigmas.” Her career goal is to combine her curiosity and love for science with her desire to help make the world a healthier place for all. “I hope to pursue an MD/PhD program here at UC San Diego and train to become a physician researcher.” With an interest in one day having her own lab, she also hopes to become a professor. “Being able to share my passion for molecular biology with both the students taking my classes and assisting with research in my lab would be extremely rewarding endeavors to me.”

Coming from a low-income background, Ella is grateful that she has been able to help support the family through her two jobs. " I do not wish for anyone to have finances or location be barriers between them and quality healthcare. I intend to use my passions for science and community service to promote equitable healthcare practices for the global population.”