Prathima Garudadri

Growing up in sunny San Diego, I spent my weekends at the beach, San Diego Zoo and Seaworld; we were outdoors year-round. This sparked a love of animals and nature from a young age that continues to drive my career and life choices. In my free time I love to travel; through these experiences I have seen the beauty of our planet, the animals who inhabit it and the harmful effects that humans have on the environment.

I received my bachelors in Physiology and Neuroscience with a minor in Cognitive Science from UC San Diego in 2018 with the original intention of going to medical school or working in a neuroscience lab. While getting my bachelors degree, I worked as a veterinary assistant at a small animal general practice veterinary hospital, volunteered at a equine therapy facility for veterans with PTSD and developed youth outreach programs with the San Diego Association for Women in Science. These experiences working with animals, people and witnessing the power of the human animal bond led me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

I am now a second year student at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Our curriculum has reinforced my belief that the animals we work with, the environment and human health are all intertwined. To explore my varied interests, I’ve been working as an assistant doing treatments in the small animal teaching hospital and have taken on officer positions for various clubs associated with wildlife medicine, emergency medicine, disaster response and business. This summer, I was fortunate enough to get a grant to spend working in the Gjeltema HEAL (Health Effects of Anthropogenic Litter) lab writing a scoping literature review on the health effects of microplastics in marine mammals which has been an eye opening experience. This work has united many of my passions and I am excited to continue working on this project alongside my graduate studies.

August 2020