• Hometown:
  Los Angeles, California
• High School:
  Clovis West
• College:
  University of California, Los Angeles
• College Major:
  Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology
• Graduate School(s):
  Columbia University

At Clovis West High School in Fresno, California, Carmelle T. Norice excelled in academics, leadership and service to her community. She served as president of the Clovis West African American Student Union, regional president of the United Black Student Unions of California, and participated in student body government. A committed volunteer, she tutored students after school and helped her church distribute food and clothing to the homeless. She received various academic awards and graduated as valedictorian.

During her studies at UCLA as a Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology major, Carmelle embarked on a career in biomedical science, being supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the American Psychological Association, and the Lew and Edie Wasserman Research Scholarship. After her freshman year, she interned at the Julia Ann Singer Therapeutic School for emotionally disturbed children. Carmelle volunteered in several college and science outreach programs, and she was given the Chancellor’s Award for Leadership and Academic Excellence. In 2002, Carmelle graduated cum laude, with College Honors and Departmental Honors.

After graduating from UCLA, Carmelle interned as a postbaccalaureate research fellow at the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s steward of medical and behavioral research. There she studied cellular signaling and communication in the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology. While in the DC metro area, Carmelle also helped organize community health screenings with her church and volunteered as an SAT prep tutor for students in Southeast DC.

Carmelle is an MD-PhD candidate at Columbia University, where she studies on a full-scholarship from the Medical Scientist Training Program. In the Department of Microbiology, Carmelle's research is focused on molecular mechanisms of infection caused by the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. She remains involved in outreach and programming for students underrepresented in biomedical research fields. She is also a student representative for the Center for Bioethics at Columbia University. Carmelle is working toward a career in infectious diseases research and treatment, with special focus on health challenges being faced by developing countries.