Arlene Garcia
Arlene is originally from Philadelphia, PA. She attended the University of Pennsylvania where she obtained her B.A. in Cell and Molecular Biology with minors in Chemistry and Medical Sociology. At Penn, she did evolutionary biology research specifically studying mutation rate evolution in experimental populations of E. coli. Her interests in genetics and evolution led her to join the Patel lab, where she hopes to learn more about the genetics of mitochondrial DNA. Arlene is currently in the MSTP program at Vanderbilt and completed two years of medical school before joining the Patel lab. She hopes to have a career as a physician-scientist in either obstetrics-gynecology or pediatrics.
Outside the lab, Arlene enjoys spending time outdoors, trying new workout classes, and exploring coffee shops and restaurants around Nashville.