Ashley Morgan

There are some people who have always known the answer to, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I am not one of those people. I studied Marine Biology in college and became fascinated with different animals’ physiologic responses to nature. I loved learning about the complex systems that allowed them to move and breath and live in different environments. This made for an easy transition to veterinary school where I immediately signed up for night classes to obtain my master’s in public health. I knew that I loved the outdoors, the animals that live there, and the humans that interact at that interface. I wanted to understand, not only the complex systems within the animal body, but also those that link those bodies with the environment around them and the humans sharing the space. This was my first exposure to the concept of One Health and how we are all part of this system of linked and overlapping moving parts that cannot be changed or paused without causing a rippling effect.

By pursuing my PhD in Integrative Biology, I have found a way to marry my degrees- Bachelor of Science in both Marine Science and Biology, a Master’s in Public Health, and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. The research I am conducting on the health impacts of an anthropogenic environmental pollutant is an amazing culmination of my passions. Environmental pollutants threaten the vitality of all those complex physiological systems that have always fascinated me. They should be investigated, analyzed, proved, and prevented, and I want to continue to be a part of that work during my PhD and beyond.

July 2020