Fernanda Lugo is an incoming first-year graduate student in the department of Biobehavioral health. She received a Bachelors in Biology with a minor in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas in El Paso in 2018. She previously worked in environmental chemistry, analyzing removal and filtration systems for Bisphenol A. Her current research interests are in the areas of public health and interventions, as well as the early detection of biomarkers as precursors to chronic disease. She is particularly interested in how environmental exposures and stress alike can lead to the development of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases.