Eric Strand is pursuing an MD at Harvard Medical School. Eric graduated as Valedictorian from the University of Oregon with a degree in Molecular Biology. He is passionate about health equity, non-profit administration, rational therapeutic drug design, and electronic music. Eric grew up working in construction with his father, and later became a Spanish interpreter at a local free clinic to combat the health inequities he witnessed. After leading a construction team in the largest refugee camp in Europe, Eric founded the 501(c)(3) non-profit HumaLink,  which matches the unique skills of prospective volunteers to reputable humanitarian projects operating around the globe.   

Upon graduating, Eric managed the laboratory of Dr. Alice Ting at Stanford University, where he continued his work on novel chemical therapeutic biotechnologies. His works have been published in The Journal of the American Chemical Society, eLife, and more. Eric envisions a future where healthcare and its innovations are equally accessible to every member of society and plans to develop an extensive system of free clinics to support the communities that first inspired him. In his free time, Eric enjoys composing electronic music, and has released multiple studio albums with his collegiate acapella group “On The Rocks.”