My name is Maribel Patiño and I am a UC San Diego graduate student studying Neuroscience in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). My pronouns are she/her/hers.
The Foundation describes its mission in this paragraph:
“The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States. Each year, we invest in the graduate education of 30 New Americans—immigrants and children of immigrants—who are poised to make significant contributions to US society, culture or their academic field. Each Fellow receives up to $90,000 in financial support over two years, and they join a lifelong community of New American Fellows."
Initially I was applying to further fund my MD/PhD training, but after reading the purpose of the fellowship and the stories of past fellows it became much more personal. This fellowship application is a rare opportunity to not only list our academic accomplishments, but to reflect on our and our parents immigrant stories and how they have shaped our aspirations and successes.
Currently I am in my 2nd year of graduate school working at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. After finishing up my PhD I will return to medical school to finish my last two years of MSTP training. In the long term, I envision a career that incorporates conducting basic systems neuroscience research, interacting with patients, collaborating with early translation research scientists, and mentoring the next generation of physician scientists. I aim to be a physician scientist committed not only to empathic patient care, but also towards elucidating the mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Read more about Maribel's journey from watermelon fields to UC San Diego.
Maribel is a member of the graduate student organization Colors of the Brain. CoB was formed in order to build a community for underrepresented brain scientists within the UC San Diego campus. Through undergraduate mentorship, CoB hopes to share its members' enthusiasm for the brain sciences by providing disadvantaged students real conversations about academia, graduate school applications, and the chance to jump into neuroscience research.
National Competitive Scholarships at UC San Diego
Soros Fellowship Information at UC San Diego
Once a year a Soros Fellowship representative visits the campus and conducts an information session. Subscribe to the UR Newsletter and receive information when the next information session is available!
*UR staff can help you prepare to apply for the Soros Fellowship! If you are selected for an interview we can also help by conducting a mock interview. Don't hesitate to contact us!
Phone: (858) 534-1774CONNECT WITH THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH HUB: