Emily Levesque

About Me
I grew up in a small town in southern Maine before moving to Tampa, Florida where I completed my bachelor’s in biochemistry and minor in philosophy. I then began my career in research as a technician at the University of Maryland, Baltimore-Center for Vaccine Development, where I worked analyzing and improving the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. In this work, I found myself thinking about the Western world’s tendency to favor responsive medicine (vaccines, medications, procedures) over preventative medicine, which led me to think about how nutrition/diet could act as a preventative health measure and eventually to pursue my graduate degree in nutritional sciences. 

Why I chose the Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Arizona
Once I decided to pursue a graduate degree in nutrition, the University of Arizona stood out from the beginning. In the end I chose the Nutritional Sciences Graduate Program at the University of Arizona because of the interdisciplinary reach of the program, the opportunities I would have to TA, and the incredible reputation the University has for research. During my visit, I felt instantly welcomed by faculty and other graduate students and knew this was where I needed to be to take the next steps in my career.