Hi! I'm Juana (pronounced joo-ah-nuh), and I use she/her pronouns. I'm currently a rising 2nd year JD/MA in Bioethics and Science Policy student at Duke University School of Law. I graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2023, where I majored in Pharmacology with minors in Sociocultural Linguistics and Professional Writing for Science Communication. 

I'm interested in molecular biology, particularly the ways we can target and take advantage of fundamental physiological principles in our efforts to create better and more accessible forms of medicine. I am passionate about the molecular basis of neurological disorders and various forms of cancer, and the ways in which we can develop drugs to treat these diseases.

I also love writing and science communication, which I believe is equally as important in science as the basic research itself. Communicating complex scientific ideas is essential in the drug development process, from patent drafting and claims to licensing deals between big pharmaceutical companies and smaller biotech start-ups. I hope to bridge the gap between scientific and medical research and the law as I pursue a career in the interesction of healthcare, science, and the law, drawing upon two of my passions and interests.

This e-portfolio showcases the work I have done throughout my undergraduate career as a writer, researcher, and science communicator.