Adriana Pero grew up in a small town outside of Philadelphia. She was recruited to play Division I field hockey at Lafayette College where she majored in Neuroscience. After graduating in 2019, she worked for a year as an Associate Researcher in the lab of Dr. Dongming Cai at the Bronx VA investigating molecular and cellular processes of Alzheimer’s disease.

Upon starting medical school at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2020, Adriana pursued her commitment to research and health equity. She became involved with neuroscience research with Dr. Kristen Brennand investigating alternative splicing of NRXN1 in neuropsychiatric diseases. Throughout medical school, she consistently volunteered with the East Harlem Health Outreach Program (EHHOP), the student run free clinic at Mount Sinai, and held several leadership positions including Community Outreach Chair and Chief Liver Clinic Teaching Senior. During her third year, she discovered her passion for general surgery and decided to pursue a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) and worked with Dr. Myron Schwartz in the Liver Surgery department investigating the changing causes of hepatocellular carcinoma.

After graduating medical school in 2025, Adriana started surgical residency at UCSF. She continues to be involved with research and facilitates discussions with program leadership as a class representative. In her free time, she enjoys running, finding hikes in the area, and exploring a new city.