Bio: As a child, I dreamed of playing soccer in the World Cup. Failing to realize this dream, I developed a love for fishing and the natural world from my grandpa and several influential biology teachers. My life was almost ended by a traumatic brain injury but I came away from that experience with greater determination and appreciation for life. After a semester of studying elementary education at Illinois State University, I changed direction and pursued my childhood passion of the biological sciences. I continued this journey in my graduate studies at Dartmouth College, where my journey into immunology only began after my chosen path came to an abrupt end. I found parallels between the inflammation that occurred during viral infection and cardiovascular disease, which then led me to my postdoctoral studies at Northwestern University. After several years of productivity and success, I now find myself far from home and starting anew as an Assistant Professor at UTHealth-Houston.  

Swapna Patil, BDS

Graduate Research Assistant