My name is Elizabeth Soto (She/Her/Ella). I am an immigrant from the Dominican Republic and I moved to the USA at the age of thirteen. I am a graduating senior from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, pursuing a B.S in Biotechnology and Neurodegenerative Diseases and I want to get an M.D/Ph.D. and pursue a Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology.

While pursuing a professional career in pharmaceutical sciences, I want to become a neurosurgeon and lead the next generation of innovation and successful therapies for neurodegenerative diseases and neurological disorders.

My journey with neurodegenerative diseases started when my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. My experience as a loved one of someone suffering from this disease changed my life completely.

When I moved to the United States, I was introduced to the concept of research and became fascinated by it. With time and a lot of obstacles along the way, I was able to create my own major through the CUNY BA Program For Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. I knew I wanted to pursue a career as a physician-scientist when I took a master’s level neuropharmacology course. Since then, I have become fascinated with application of interdisciplinary studies to study the underlying causes of neurodegenerative diseases. 

I am also a big advocate of equity, inclusion, and mentorship in STEM. I want to dedicate a big portion of my professional career advocating for these things!

I am also a writer and a cellist. I want to publish several books throughout my career and one day be part of an orchestra.

I am the founder of two recent initiatives:

 1. Together for others (twitter: @unidosporotros)
 2. Dominicans In STEM (twitter: @DominicansinSTEM).

Check them out!

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