Elena Wilson

Elena is an MD-PhD student born in Moscow, Russia, and raised in Rockford, Illinois, pursuing studies in the Department of Immunobiology focusing on T-cell biology and translational immunology. She graduated in 2020 with her B.S. with Honors in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in Chemistry and her B.A. with Honors in Germanic Studies concentrating in Germanic Literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She was selected as a 2020 Lincoln Academy Student Laureate by the University and State of Illinois.

Following graduation, she completed a 2-year fellowship at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland with Dr. Lawrence Samelson studying T-cell signaling and function. She also pursued independent research with Dr. Tanjala Purnell at Johns Hopkins University's Schools of Medicine and Public Health focused on disparities in kidney transplantation.

Clinically her interests lie in surgery and critical care and she is passionate about integrating scientific research and surgical practice. Outside of science and medicine, she enjoys cooking, reading, and exploring local coffe