Meet Kelli Malott, Guest of Episode 5

I am a Ph.D candidate in the Environmental Health Sciences Graduate Program at University of California, Irvine. I grew up in suburban Detroit, Michigan. During a high school science class, I learned of the disparity in knowledge about basic female biology and the destructive consequences this had for female health. This catapulted me into a research career dedicated to understanding basic female biology and how the environment influences female health. I earned a B.S. in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. After graduation, I completed a two-year post-baccalaureate at the National Institute on Aging, within the National Institutes of Health. Then I matriculated to the Environmental Health Sciences Graduate Program.

Now my dissertation project investigates the mechanism by which in utero exposure to the environmental pollutant and tobacco smoke component, benzo[a]pyrene, destroys oocytes (eggs) in the ovary and reprograms surviving oocytes. To pursue this project, I was recently awarded a competitive Tobacco Related Diseases Research Program fellowship.

Since I am a recovering Michigander, I loathe to waste a sunny day. During my free time, I am an avid rock climber and weightlifter and a reluctant runner. Between my partner and I, we have 3 dogs that I refer to as “The Monsters”, a terrier rescue, a pitbull rescue, and a husky. Our favorite thing to do on weekends is to take The Monsters for hikes, explore tourist spots around Southern California, and binge watch TV.