Flora Zhang

Alma Mater: Colgate University 

Matriculation Year: 2024

About Flora: I grew up in San Francisco, CA and attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. At Colgate, I developed my interest in both medicine and women’s health and received a B.A. in both Molecular Biology and Women’s Studies. After graduation, I took two gap years to pursue a Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where I studied mouse models of regulatory T cell development in the thymus. My experience at the NIH heavily influenced my goals to become a future physician-scientist studying reproductive immunology. In my free time, I enjoy reading fiction, weightlifting, running, and baking.

Research Advisor: Judy Van de Water

Research Interests: My current research interests fall under the realm of reproductive immunology/neuroimmunology. More specifically, my current project focuses on understanding how alteration of the gestational immune landscape after infection during pregnancy impacts fetal neural development and increases autism susceptibility. Through this research, we hope to better understand the immunological mechanisms underlying the development of neurodevelopmental disorders and associated risk factors that predict susceptibility to them.

Why ARC: I chose ARC because I knew that I wanted to continue my development as a scientist and integrate my research background with my passion for women’s health. I was drawn to ARC because of the structure and support that the ARC faculty provides in fostering our professional growth and development. Now that I’m in ARC, I couldn’t be more grateful for the community of support that I’ve also gained! 

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