Scholar

Amber Esqueda grew up in Orange County, California and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.S. in Human Biology and Society and a minor in Spanish. At UCLA, Amber served as a research assistant to a genetic counseling student, conducting research on the awareness and perceptions of genetic counseling among diverse urban populations in Los Angeles. Her passion for research also extended beyond genetics and into the world of public health as a research assistant for the REACH Lab at UCLA, a research project dedicated to analyzing the impact of mindfulness treatments on PTSD in unhoused women. Outside of UCLA, Amber was involved with the Los Angeles Department of Public Health Youth Advisory Council, where she organized a project centered on addressing food insecurity in her service planning area.   

After graduating from UCLA, Amber went on to become a genetic counseling assistant at Hoag Hospital, where she acted as an outreach coordinator for various of their high-risk cancer programs such as the Early Risk Assessment Program, the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Program, and the Pancreatic Cancer Detection Program. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying out new coffee shops, and spending time outdoors. She is excited to be joining the network of Warren Alpert Scholars in helping address and overcome barriers in genetic counseling and beyond.