Christine Boutros (she/her), a fourth-year PhD student in the Neuroscience program and Medical Scientist Training Program, is one of 12 outstanding UCSF students chosen to receive an ARCS scholarship in the 2025-26 academic year.
Why did you decide to pursue a PhD?
My goal in pursuing a PhD is to understand the mechanisms that underlie neurologic, infectious diseases. Deepening our causal understanding of disease can shed light on overlooked, biological processes that can inspire new therapies and preventative measures.
Why UCSF?
UCSF is a leading institution in neuroscience, immunology, virology, and mycology. If I wanted to get world-class training in my niche topic of neuro-infectious diseases, UCSF was clearly the institution I needed to join.
Tell us a little about your research.
I am studying the role of the humoral immune response in central nervous system disseminated coccidioidomycosis, better known as "Valley Fever," using programmable phage display technology (PhIP-Seq). Identifying the key antigenic regions of the Coccidioides proteome and the antibodies formed in the context of disease will be an opportunity for improved diagnostics, and vaccine and biological therapeutic development. These will help surveillance, prevention, and treatment respectively.
What are your post-graduation career goals?
Once I complete my PhD in Neuroscience, I will complete my MD training as part of my Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) education and then apply to research track residencies. My long-term career goal is to be a neuro-infectious disease specialist and independent PI.
What are your interests outside the lab?
Outside the lab, I am heavily involved in outreach to continue diversifying the physician-scientist community. I love to read books that are purely entertaining, religiously keep up on all my favorite NPR and NYT podcasts, paint, golf (poorly), and follow my favorite DJs from festival to festival.
Funding for the ARCS Scholarship is provided through a grant from the ARCS Foundation, whose mission is to advance science and technology in the United States by providing financial awards to academically outstanding U.S. citizens studying to complete degrees in science, engineering and medical research. Visit the ARCS Foundation website to find out more. The Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs and our students are grateful for this generous support.