Michelle Bourette

A weird scientist she definitely is not, and Michelle Bourette has been especially blessed to have grown up in a community that was master-planned to define urban form as well as an open space character. For Michelle, visiting the various neighborhood and community parks in her city during her childhood was sheer bliss. That was something that created such a huge inspiration in her to pursue an undergraduate degree and a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). She is employed as a Professor of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at the Department of Life Sciences of her alma mater.
The presence of 80 miles of scenic trails in Laguna Niguel, California, her native city, encouraged Michelle Bourette to explore the wide variety of wide open spaces and city parks in the community. Even in her younger days, Michelle had already familiarized herself with the various major trail segments at Laguna Niguel. With her parents, she went on lovely and enjoyable hiking and biking journeys through: Niguel Trail; Aliso Summit Trail; Laguna Ridge Trail; Salt Creek Trail; Long View Park Trail; and Colinas Bluff Trail. Having had so much beauty around her, it was but natural for Michelle to follow a scientific path that has led her to her current role as teacher and researcher at UCLA.
Michelle Bourette enjoys going out with her students to visit her home city. She wants them to experience the beauty of nature that has motivated her to become a well-trained and dedicated scientist and teacher.