Shakela Mitchell

My name is Ela Mitchell and I was born in Jamaica, but raised in Brooklyn, New York. I attended Cornell University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Society.

I started my research in the social sciences, with a strong interest in biological and evolutionary anthropology. In high school I loved learning about species adaptation in humans and hominids. As my interest in species adaptation grew deeper and more specific, a mentor helped me realize that genetics and the factors that govern gene expression was where my true interest lay.

Since then I’ve worked in a variety of labs studying genetics and genomics. I started in Dr. Darell Killian’s lab at Colorado College, looking at the role of post-transcriptional gene regulation in dendrite morphogenesis. I then did an REU at the University of Georgia and worked in Dr. Michael Tern’s Lab looking at CRISPR, an adaptive immune system seen in prokaryotes. CRISPR is also a powerful and precise genome-editing tool. I completed another REU at the University of Utah with Dr. Tom Lane studying disease progression in preclinical mouse models of multiple sclerosis. At Cornell, I worked with Dr. Mariana Wolfer looking at the genes that contribute to egg activation in drosophila.

During my senior year of college I helped coordinate Cornell University’s hackathon, a 36 hour non-stop event where undergraduate students gather to create novel mechanical or app designs that address real-word issues, from environmental sustainability to disparities in health care access. During this event I got to see the potential that machine learning would have in both medicine and research. I wanted to learn more about the technology industry and upon graduation I worked at a recruiting startup that built algorithms to rid the industry of discrimination and bring equity to the hiring process.

While deeply passionate about research, I am equally passionate about medicine. I ping-ponged between either for a career until I discovered MD-PhD programs. I am excited to be a PREP participant because it will help me develop my skills to be a more competitive applicant for MD-PhD programs. I look forward to a rewarding career as a physician scientist one day.