SAN ANTONIO – While many high school students were relaxing over the summer break, one was working hard in a lab at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
“I love science,” said Marisol Cortez, a senior at Burbank High School.
Her love for science got her into an elite research program to work alongside grad students and some of the world’s top infectious disease researchers.
Cortez’s research was to figure out how the Zika virus spread from Africa to Asia and what the virus was doing during that time frame.
“It was a positive outcome,” Cortez said.
After two months of working closely with cells, she said the research will help prevent future breakouts.
Cortez is one of the top students in her class and wants to continue her research work after high school. Her main goal is to become an MD-PhD.