Elena Wilson

Born in Moscow, Russia and raised in Rockford, IL, Elena attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she received a B.S. (Honors) in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in Chemistry and a B.A. (Honors) in Germanic Studies with a concentration in German Literature and Culture. After graduating in Spring 2020, she completed a two-year post-baccalaureate fellowship in Dr. Larry Samelson's lab at the National Cancer Institute where she studied the role of actin in regulating T-cell signaling and function. She also independently pursued research with Dr. Tanjala Purnell at Johns Hopkins University's Schools of Medicine and Public Health to learn more about health disparities research, focusing on kidney transplantation and health equity.

Now a second year MD-PhD student at Yale University, she plans to pursue her PhD in the Immunobiology department where she aims to identify new therapeutic targets based on interdisciplinary investigation of disease mechanisms. Her current interests lie in T-cell biology, autoimmune disease, and kidney disease. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, being outdoors, running, and reading philosophy.