Daira Melendez

I am a PhD student in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology. I am originally from Chile and immigrated to the United States at a young age for the pursuit of higher education. I am a first-generation student and completed my undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill where I double majored in biology and environmental studies. I was fortunate to have been able to study abroad in the Galapagos Islands which ignited my passion for research and the environment. My academic and research experience at UNC motivated me to continue my education. I received my Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences from the University of Washington- Seattle. For my master’s thesis, I focused on utilizing next-generation sequencing tools to investigate and profile bacteria isolated from killer whales’ resident to the area. Particularly, this project introduced me to the field of bioinformatics and computational analysis research that played a strong decision in my pursuit of a doctoral degree,

At UCSD, I can join my passion for research and the desire to continue learning more about bioinformatics. My goals at UCSD are to foster educational and personal growth and I am thankful and excited for this opportunity. I am grateful for the Sloan Scholar fellowship that helps make this experience possible.