The Institute of Transportation Studies is proud to spotlight Izabel Vicente for her contributions to the 2026 Transportation Research Immersion Program (TRIP). Izabel is a Human Biology major at UC Irvine with aspirations of becoming a physician assistant. Growing up in Santa Ana and living near a freeway her entire life sparked her interest in understanding how transportation infrastructure and environmental conditions affect public health, particularly in underserved communities.
“What interests me most about transportation research is understanding how transportation and freeway environments can affect human health over time. Having lived next to a freeway my entire life, I have personally seen family members struggle with asthma and severe allergies.”
TRIP allows students like Izabel to explore the connection between transportation and community health through hands-on research. Motivated by her experiences with pollution exposure near her home, she is interested in examining how transportation-related pollution and noise may contribute to respiratory illnesses, stress, and other long-term health concerns. Through this work, she hopes to better understand the environmental factors that shape health outcomes.
“These experiences are what drive my interest in research. I want to better understand the relationship between transportation pollution and human health, specifically how environmental exposure may contribute to respiratory disease, allergies, stress, and other chronic health issues.”
As part of TRIP, Izabel hopes to strengthen her research and analytical skills while learning how to investigate environmental health challenges. She believes these experiences will help prepare her for a future career in healthcare and equip her to address health disparities through evidence-based solutions.
“As part of this project, I hope to develop strong critical thinking and research skills that will help me both as a future physician assistant and in solving real-world problems.”
Author Reina Kabbara is a recent graduate of Public Health Policy at UC Irvine. She has conducted transportation and environmental research under the Institute of Transportation Studies and through Professor Jun Wu’s E3: “Exposure, Epidemiology, and Equity” Environmental Health Lab.
Each summer, the ITS-Irvine Transportation Research Immersion Program (TRIP) and the Pre-college Research Immersion Program pair undergraduate and high school student researchers with faculty to contribute meaningfully to ongoing transportation research projects. To learn more about these programs, contact ITS-Irvine Assistant Director for Programs and Engagement Dr. Victoria Deguzman at vvdeguzm@uci.edu.