Patricia Bunda

Born and raised in the Philippines, Patricia came to the United States in 2013 to pursue further education. She graduated summa cum laude from UCLA in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology; Minor in Biomedical Research. She was awarded highest departmental honors for her senior thesis conducted in the lab of Dr. Stephanie Correa where she helped characterize the transcriptional architecture of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus using single cell RNA-sequencing and in situ hybridization. After college, she spent two years as a postbac fellow in the lab of Dr. Glenn Merlino at the NIH where she studied the mechanism of cancer organotropism using metastatic melanoma cells in mice. As a future physician scientist, she is passionate about improving the healthcare system and expanding research opportunities in her home country. Outside of school, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, cooking Filipino food, spending afternoons in art museums, and mailing postcards to friends around the world.