Natalia was born in the warmest parts of Russia and immigrated with her family to the US when she was 10. As a low-income immigrant from the Minnesota cornfields, she attributes much of her personal and professional successes to excellent mentors who helped guide her through an unfamiliar culture and education system and hopes to help others navigate the intricacies of medical school admissions cycles. Natalia started her BS Biology degree at the University of Minnesota before transferring to, and graduating from, the University of Arkansas. Her undergrad research was umm...diverse...but it all came together in her 3 gap years at the NIH, where she worked in two labs studying neurodegenerative diseases in one and influenza in another. Natalia is an incoming MD/PhD student at University of Nebraska Medical Center. During her MD/PhD training she hopes to bridge the human, veterinary and global health (collectively known as planetary health) through the study of zoonotic infections, their basic biology, prevention, and vaccine development. Outside of science and medicine she teaches an ESL class for absolute beginners and enjoys gardening, travel, camping/hiking in the Southwest deserts, and dreams of swimming with sharks and getting a pilot license (cuz why not?!)