Born and raised in Puerto Rico, at an early age Ramon Misla David discovered a passion for science, medicine, and the people he serves. Spending an entire college break in a hospital room alongside his father, experiencing first-hand the thrill of discovery of research, and being mentored by a fantastic physician-scientist all contributed to his passion for science and medicine.
Misla David earned a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology in 2018 from Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia. After completing his first two years of medical school at Ponce Health Sciences University in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Misla David came to St. Jude to expand on his passions in pursuit of an MD/PhD. He is currently interested in neuroscience and translational research. He has also been committed to the advancement of science and medicine. During the last few years, Misla David has authored a book, worked in the U.S. Senate, founded two STEM organizations and served as a Board Member of a student-enrichment digital platform.
He currently works in the lab of Peter J. McKinnon, PhD, in the Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease Research, a Division of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology. There, he works on centrosomal control of the neuronal migration.
“I came from a small school where my high school graduating class consisted of eighteen students, my family had no background in research or medicine and my first real experiences with these fields didn’t happen until college,” he says. “To come from this, to now have the opportunity to earn an MD/PhD from such an outstanding institution as St. Jude truly means the world to me.”
Hometown: Ponce, Puerto Rico