About
Alexandra is a first-generation student from Long Beach, California. She graduated from UCLA in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Human Biology and Society, as well as a Disability Studies minor. Alex developed a strong interest in genomics and ethics through her unique major's interdisciplinary course content. Outside of classes, she advocated for underserved communities by coaching Special Olympics athletes, tutoring ESL UCLA frontline employees, and supporting college students as a Peer Learning Facilitator. After graduation, Alex gained valuable experience as a behavioral therapist working in person and virtually alongside children on the autism spectrum. She later went on to further her research skills working as an RA in Dr. Feng's USC Alzheimer's Disease lab and Dr. Yang's UCLA Huntington's Disease lab. Her first publication appeared in Nature Metabolism under article title "Cryptic phosphoribosylase activity of NAMPT restricts the virion incorporation of viral proteins". In 2024, Alex joined UCLA's OBGYN reproductive genetics team as a genetic counseling assistant, where she proudly served a diverse patient population. Her team taught her firsthand the responsibilities of a genetic counselor and supported her dream of becoming a future genetic counselor. Now, Alex is honored to continue her education at UCLA as a Double Bruin. Her hope is to continue advocating for underrepresented communities through the field of genetic counseling. Outside of genetics, Alex enjoys listening to her favorite tunes, crate digging, playing chess, reading, thrifting, spending time with her loved ones, and relaxing with her senior cat, Lionel.