Juanita Florez-Bedoya ' 28

Juanita Florez-Bedoya is a sophomore from Medellín, Colombia, studying Biological Sciences in the CALS at Cornell University, concentrating Genetics, Genomics, and Development and minoring in Nutrition. Juanita conducts research in the Papadimitriou Lab, where she investigates how mutations in the POGZ gene affect neurodevelopment and may contribute to autism, using lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). After graduation, she plans to pursue an MD-PhD to support children and families affected by rare genetic diseases through both clinical care and research. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, solving sudokus, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.

Juanita's words of encouragement for new students

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Take things slowly and allow yourself to adapt to this new environment you’re entering. Ask for help whenever you need it; you don’t have to figure everything out alone. Most importantly, enjoy the process and take advantage of all the opportunities Cornell has to offer.”

College: CALS

Tutoring: BIOMG 2800, BIOMG 2801, BIOMG 1350

Email: jf895 [at] cornell.edu