Elsie Gonzalez-Hurtado

Elsie graduated from the University of California - Riverside with a B.S. in Biochemistry. As an undergraduate she studied gene regulation with an emphasis on the transcriptional regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and cancer initiation under the mentorship of Dr. Ernest Martinez. After graduating, she spent two years at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine studying brown adipose tissue physiology and the role of macrophage fatty acid oxidation in obesity under the guidance of Dr. Michael J. Wolfgang.

Elsie joined the MD/PhD program at the Yale School of Medicine in 2017 and the laboratory of Dr. Vishwa D. Dixit in the Department of Immunology in 2019. She is interested in exploring neuro-immune interactions outside of the central nervous system and in broadly understanding how these interactions might regulate behavior, metabolism, inflammation, and defense against pathogens. At Yale, she has served on the HAVEN Free Clinic leadership board, SNMA/LMSA executive board, and sits on the Committee for Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (CDISJ).

Elsie was born and raised in Long Beach, CA. In her spare time she enjoys reading, art museums, photography, and rock climbing.