Daijah Scott, originally from Ohio, is a first-generation college graduate from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Animal Science with a minor in Chemistry. Daijah currently works as a Laboratory Animal Technician at her alma mater while simultaneously working part-time as an emergency medical technician. She chose to study lab animal science to lay a foundation for the research goals she holds.
Daijah’s goal of obtaining an MD/PhD dual degree is inspired by recognizing how disproportionate socioeconomic outcomes in minority communities affect health longterm. Daijah hopes that her work in medicine/research informs policy and leads to access to quality healthcare for all populations. Also, she has research interests geared toward rare autoimmune diseases that affect populations of color.
Additionally, one of Daijah’s main goals is to work at a leading public health institution like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization alongside medical epidemiologists to explore health trends to assist in advancing medicine and the “One Health” initiative. “One Health” is an interdisciplinary perspective that focuses on how human, animal, and environmental health, interconnect.