Gabriela Kim ’23

Gaby spent the summer of 2021 acquiring her Quantitative Analysis Institute certificate and continuing her independent study on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with Professors Elmore and Darling at Wellesley College, where she gained insight into how single-site amino acid mutations in AMPs may improve their bacteria-killing properties. During the fall semester of her junior year, Gaby studied in Bremen, Germany, and conducted research at the Röschenthaler Lab, where she synthesized and developed fluorinating and polyfluoroalkilating reagents as well as fluorinated building blocks to modify biological and pharmacologically active compounds. On-campus, she serves as Co-Chair of the Pan-Asian Council, Vice-President of Prism Think Tank, Secretary of the Hippocratic Society (pre-health society), and is a member of the Elmore Lab. Outside of school, Gaby volunteers to tutor with CovEd, a non-profit education platform, and volunteers with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system. Having grown up in an international setting, Gaby is fluent in English, Spanish, and Korean, and is learning Chinese Mandarin and French through the influence of her close friends. Looking forward, her goal is to pursue an MD/Ph.D. and improve health disparities particularly in women’s and children’s healthcare. Eventually, Gaby would like to found a children’s hospital that allows sick children from all over the world to receive treatment from compassionate, qualified physicians with cutting-edge technology.