Silvana (she/her) is a current PhD student entering her second year in the Chemistry and Biochemistry program at UCLA. Her research predominantly revolves around natural products involved in plant-fungal interactions, with the hope of understanding their mechanisms and applying them towards combating plant pathogens affecting crops. Growing up in Vermont, she was around farmland my whole life, so this subject is very close to the heart. Silvana was motivated to apply for the CDLS Fellowship to find a community that was as passionate about the environment as she is.