A Medical Student’s Path to Child Neurology

As Alicia Wells heads into her residency in child neurology, her journey comes full circle, transforming childhood hospital experiences into a lifelong commitment to helping families navigate health challenges.

One of Alicia Wells’ earliest childhood memories is watching her parents rush her brother to the hospital after an urgent call about his platelet count. For years, he lived with immune thrombocytopenic purpura, enduring repeated hospitalizations and the uncertainty that accompanies chronic illness. In those moments, Wells witnessed how physicians not only treated her brother’s condition but also guided her entire family through fear and uncertainty.

Those early experiences planted a seed that eventually grew into a commitment to medicine and to caring for children with complex neurological conditions.

Now, as a medical student at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, Wells is preparing to graduate in May 2026 and begin her residency in child neurology at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Throughout her journey, she has established herself as a prolific researcher, investigating how nicotine affects the developing brain.

Uncovering the Brain’s Vulnerability to Nicotine

For nearly four years, Wells has worked in the laboratory of Shahrdad Lotfipour, PhD, an associate professor and translational addiction biology researcher. “Dr. Lotfipour has mentored me throughout my research journey, guiding my investigation into a specific type of brain receptor called the alpha-2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, or Chrna2,” says Wells. These receptors are found in brain regions critical for learning, memory and emotional regulation, and they are particularly vulnerable to disruption by nicotine during sensitive periods of development.

“We know that prenatal nicotine exposure is associated with increased risk for ADHD, anxiety and other neurodevelopmental disorders,” Wells explains. “But we’re still learning exactly how nicotine disrupts normal brain development. By studying these specific receptors, we can better understand the mechanisms and potentially identify targets for intervention.”

Her 2023 review in Advances in Drug and Alcohol Research synthesized clinical and preclinical evidence, demonstrating how prenatal nicotine exposure leads to neurodevelopmental disorders. Building on this foundation, her 2024 paper in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory revealed that female adolescent mice with hypersensitive Chrna2 receptors show deficits in nicotine-facilitated learning. Importantly, these effects differed between males and females, highlighting the importance of studying sex differences in brain development.

Most recently, her 2026 publication in Neuropharmacology expanded this work to examine how genetic manipulation of the Chrna2 gene affects fear conditioning, extinction and nicotine self-administration across different ages and sexes. The findings suggest that these receptors play critical roles in vulnerability to addiction and PTSD, conditions that disproportionately affect women.

“Alicia Wells exemplifies a dedication to discovery, teaching and healing,” says Lotfipour. “Her combination of academic rigor, clinical acumen and selfless mentorship distinguishes her as one of the top 1% of medical students I have encountered in my career. I have no doubt she will be an exceptional physician-scientist and a leader in the medical community.”

From Lab to Bedside

Wells’ research interests are informed by her clinical experiences, some of which carry profound personal meaning. Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC, now Rady Children’s Health) was where her brother was hospitalized as a child, and years later, she returned as a critical care emergency medical technician (EMT), transporting critically ill patients to the intensive care unit (ICU) and newborn ICU. Then, as a third-year medical student and sub-intern, she rotated through the very departments where her family had once awaited news about her brother.

“Walking through CHOC in different roles over the years has been a full-circle experience,” Wells reflects. “I went from being a sibling of a patient to someone who gets to be there for other families during their most vulnerable moments.”

During her pediatric neurology rotation, Wells’ career path crystallized. She cared for a 3-year-old boy who developed posterior fossa syndrome following the removal of a brain tumor. He was mute, hypotonic and required repeated intubations. Witnessing his prolonged recovery inspired Wells to conduct a 20-year retrospective analysis examining how clinicians monitor and characterize this syndrome for early intervention.

“That experience solidified my belief that the questions we encounter at the bedside should inform the studies we design,” she says, “and that the answers we uncover should find their way back to patient care.”

Leading Beyond the Classroom

Beyond research and clinical training, Wells has devoted significant time to leadership and service, particularly in expanding access to healthcare and mentorship for underserved communities.

Drawing on her own experience as a community college student, Wells founded Community College to MD/DO, an organization supporting current and former community college students pursuing medicine. Through an eight-part virtual seminar series covering topics from transferring to financial literacy, the program has reached over 200 students from more than 20 colleges. She also launched a mentorship program pairing UC Irvine medical students with mentees to provide personalized guidance.

As president of the Flying Samaritans at UC Irvine, Wells led efforts to reopen a student-run free clinic in El Niño, Mexico, after more than three years of dormancy. She coordinated with Southern California physicians to support monthly trips, partnered with dentists to provide cleanings and extractions, and organized UC Irvine undergraduates to serve as Spanish interpreters. 

She also recently returned from a global health exchange in Rajkot, India, where she gained hands-on clinical experience across multiple hospital settings while observing how resource limitations shape diagnostic and treatment approaches.

Closer to home, Wells volunteered at multiple free clinics during her preclinical years, serving uninsured patients from low socioeconomic backgrounds in pulmonology, family medicine, dermatology and ophthalmology. These experiences deepened her understanding of systemic challenges in delivering equitable care.

Wells also participated in the Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM) program at UC Irvine, exploring evidence-based integrative approaches to care, including nutrition, mindfulness and lifestyle interventions. She now applies these principles in patient-centered care on her clinical rotations.

Looking Ahead

Wells envisions a career that integrates clinical practice, research and mentorship. Following residency, she plans to pursue fellowship training in either pediatric neurocritical care or neuro-oncology, subspecialties where she can care for children facing some of the most challenging neurological conditions while contributing to advances in treatment and outcomes.

“My goal is a career in academic medicine, where I can advance our understanding of pediatric neurological disorders through translational and clinical research, provide compassionate clinical care to children and their families, and mentor the next generation of trainees,” Wells explains. “By pursuing a career that integrates clinical practice with research, I hope to contribute to advances that improve outcomes, refine how we counsel families, and ultimately give children the best possible chance at full and meaningful lives.”