Alayna Baqai

Alayna studies Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and Biology at Loyola University Chicago on the pre-medical track. Fascinated by how the brain works, she hopes to become a physician who helps patients feel heard, understood, and cared for. She is an EMT and volunteers in the emergency department at Swedish Hospital, where she previously helped establish a comfort cart program designed to brighten patients’ hospital stays. Her experiences in emergency care have strengthened her appreciation for teamwork, empathy, and the impact that small acts of kindness can have during uncertain moments.

Alayna has previously conducted research in the Szmulewitz Lab at the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she studied how targeting key cell cycle regulators could help treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. She is excited to build on her background in cellular research while exploring the biological mechanisms underlying memory and brain function.

Beyond her academic, research, and clinical pursuits, Alayna is an active member of Loyola’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) and serves as president of the New Life Volunteering Society (NLVS), where she enjoys building connections and giving back to her community. In her free time, she loves exploring pop-up events, discovering new cafés, and bullet journaling as a creative way to capture the little moments in her day.