Dr. Elina Zuniga

Professor

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Biography

Elina Zuniga received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. She conducted postdoctoral research at the Scripps Research Institute and held post-doctoral fellowships from the Antorchas Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trust. Since joining the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 2007, she has received several prestigious awards, including the Hellman Foundation Scholar Award, being a Vilcek Finalist for Creative Promise, and being a Leukemia Lymphoma Society Scholar and an American Cancer Society Scholar. Prof. Zuniga is a co-founder of Global Immunotalks and has been elected by the American Association of Immunologists for the Vanguard Lecture and the American Academy of Microbiology Fellowship. She is a stable member of the “Virology B” Study Section at the National Institutes of Health and a member of the Fellowship Committee of the American Association of Immunologists. Her research focuses on the immune system's response to infections, particularly how innate and adaptive immune responses interact with viral infections to uncover fundamental principles of antiviral immunity and immune regulation, which is crucial for developing strategies to prevent and treat infectious diseases as well as immune-related disorders.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).