Making Family History: Aidan Ellis ’28 is ‘Taking Initiative,’ from Ambitious Neuroscience Research to a Future in Medicine

According to the most recent data, around one in three Saint Mary’s students today are trailblazers, the first in their family to pursue a college degree. For many first-generation students—“first-gens,” as they often refer to themselves—the journey to and through college brings unique struggles and surprises. In the Making Family History series, we regularly ask first-gen Gaels to share, in their own words, their history, hopes, and advice for the next generation.

Meet Aidan Ellis ’28: a rising third-year student pursuing an individualized major in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology. President of both the Psychology Club and the St. Luke’s Pre-Health Society Club and Vice President of the Neuroscience Club and the SMC National Marrow Donor Program, he is also a STEM Center Tutor and a Team Lead for Peer Advocates for Wellness, which hosts annual wellness fairs and events. 

Ellis, who intends to pursue medical school with the hopes of becoming a neurosurgeon, has also conducted groundbreaking research through SMC’s Summer Research Program 2026. Working with Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Freeborn Rwere and Professor of Biology Vidya Chandrasekaran, Ellis has explored whether microplastics and pesticides combine to amplify toxicity in the brain—a subject with potentially profound implications for public health and agricultural regulation.

Pleasanton, Papas Rellenas, and Psychology

I was born and raised in Pleasanton, here in the East Bay, the youngest of four siblings—and we’re all very close. My two older brothers, Kevin Ellis ’24 and Chris Ellis ’27, came to Saint Mary’s first. I also have extended family all around the Bay Area, so I’m used to big get-togethers, especially with my mom’s relatives. She immigrated from Peru as a child, and she made sure we experienced Peruvian Christmases. I mostly think about the food, traditional dishes like lomo saltado, papas rellenas, and ceviche. 

For the longest time, I wanted to work in animation. I’ve always loved drawing, and I saw myself becoming a storyboard artist someday. But then, in early high school, I started falling in love with the brain. I began checking out psychology books from the school library, whatever I could find. Soon, I pivoted to neuroscience, focusing on the brain’s lobes and how it works. 

That’s when I first began thinking seriously about a career in neuroscience. I’ve always been incredibly curious. I like to get to the root of things, to understand why. At a certain point, though, I hit this invisible barrier of sorts. I didn’t know anyone who was a doctor, and I thought I wasn’t smart enough or good enough. But one night, as I was Googling career paths, I just remember telling myself, Why not? Why not believe I can do this until I’m proven otherwise? 

From that night forward, I decided to become a doctor.

Big-Brained Questions

Since coming to SMC, my fascination for the brain has evolved. Right now, I plan to pursue neurosurgery, ideally as a physician-scientist. I really like research, but I also want to work with patients. I’m especially interested in conditions like Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. My grandparents on both sides are dealing with cognitive decline, and I’m seeing how much it impacts their quality of life. The most fulfilling thing I could do is help change that reality for those affected.

That’s why I pursued the research project I did during the Summer Research Program and beyond. Since the spring, I’ve been working with Dr. Vidya to investigate a potential synergy between pesticides and microplastics. It was definitely a student-initiated project. I independently explored the literature and narrowed down the areas I wanted to investigate, then brought the idea to Dr. Vidya. From there, we developed it together; we identified the exact topic, and she taught me the techniques and research process that helped me turn that initial idea into a real project. Then, during the summer, Dr. Rwere supervised and assisted with the lab work.

Image

For years, pesticide exposure has been linked to neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. It’s one reason the Environmental Protection Agency sets legal residue limits for pesticides on food. But research shows that microplastics—those incredibly tiny bits of plastic that shed from bottles, bags, and elsewhere—may also damage our brains and be linked to dementia. A few recent studies also suggest microplastics may make pesticides even more toxic. 

It’s that possible interaction between pesticides and microplastics I’m interested in. If they’re binding together, carrying amplified levels of neurotoxins to our brains and cells, that’s what’s known in biology as a synergy. That could have profound implications for public health, and we’d need to regulate for it in agriculture and food consumption.

New Frontiers

For the project, I’ve been looking at the pesticide chlorpyrifos, or CPF—which the Environmental Protection Agency banned in 2021 but then recently reinstated for limited use—and PET microplastics, which are found in a lot of packaging. I’ve been experimenting with their individual and combined effects on neuronal cells, zebrafish, and chicken embryos.

 So far, our cell experiments show significantly reduced cell viability after combined CPF and PET exposure, compared with exposure to either one alone. Our preliminary chick embryo experiments also produced some interesting results, including an external organ abnormality following CPF exposure and a possible reduction in fertility associated with the PET. Those findings are still preliminary, however. We need additional experiments before we can draw any major conclusions. 

Throughout this process, I’ve been surprised that I’m the first person to really explore this specific relationship. With chlorpyrifos, decades of research show how it affects cells and the brain. But with my specific microplastic, there’s not much data even on chick development, and certainly not on how it interacts with pesticides. So doing this has been both rewarding and challenging. I hope my research motivates even one scientist to explore further. Personally, I’m interested in developing a literature review focused on this intersection of microplastics, environmental contaminants, and neurotoxicity, with the goal of eventually publishing that work.

“Honestly, I think Saint Mary’s is an ideal option for pre-med students. With the small faculty-to-student ratio, you get tons of individualized support. You also have plenty of research opportunities. And programs like Collegiate Seminar help you build the interpersonal skills you need to hold conversations and appreciate different perspectives.”

Perfect for Pre-Med

I’ve written elsewhere about the pressures of being a first-generation college student. Neither of my parents formally graduated from high school or attended a four-year college, so I didn’t really have a blueprint other than my siblings. We also didn’t have any professional connections; there was no friend-of-a-friend surgeon I could shadow. Still, being “first-gen” let me explore my interests without expectation. A core reason I’m passionate about neuroscience is that I found this path on my own.

When it came time, I applied to schools throughout California, including Saint Mary’s, mainly because of my brothers. Only after I was accepted and saw the substantial financial aid package did SMC really draw me in. Given all the medical school years I have left, it seemed like a smart, affordable option.

Pretty quickly, I realized it was actually a perfect fit for my goals. Within my first week, I scheduled meetings with STEM success coach Magaly Arias-Lobatos and career counselor Maria Rajanna, who handled pre-med advising. Both were incredibly helpful in outlining what I needed to accomplish to stay on track for medical school. At the same time, my academic advisor, Psychology professor Hoang Vu, connected me with Isabella Santavicca ’23, a current medical student at the University of Colorado. I’ve since met with Isabella multiple times over Zoom to ask for advice, because she’s in it right now. She knows what it takes. 

Honestly, I think Saint Mary’s is an ideal option for pre-med students. With the small faculty-to-student ratio, you get tons of individualized support. You also have plenty of research opportunities. And programs like Collegiate Seminar help you build the interpersonal skills you need to hold conversations and appreciate different perspectives. With all that support, I’m not planning to take a gap year between graduation and med school. That’s notoriously difficult; the average age of med school entry is around 24. But I’ve been able to hit the ground running.

Image

Mentored to Mentor

Through my own journey, I’ve learned a lot about applying to medical school. What you need to have lined up: research, clinical skills, volunteering, extracurricular leadership… the list goes on. As a result, I’m motivated to help as many students as possible, especially first-gens navigating this journey on their own. As President of the St. Luke’s Pre-Med Club, I’ve informally mentored a few students. I’m always happy to share what I know and encourage them.

One thing I always stress is taking initiative. Nobody else is going to take it for you, and waiting for opportunities to come to you is like the biggest detriment to yourself in college. Instead of waiting for someone to come and knock at your door, try knocking on a hundred doors. That’s definitely a core tenet for me.

And don’t put up walls for yourself by telling yourself you’re not capable. Just try. Try, try, try. 

Hayden Royster is the Associate Editor and Francis Tatem is the Digital Content Producer in the Office of Marketing & Communications. Write them.