Serina received her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences, with a minor in Infectious Disease Biology, from Cornell University in 2020. Since then, she has been working on human infectious diseases as a Research Technician at Massachusetts General Hospital. Recognizing the interconnectedness of human and ocean health, Serina is pursuing a PhD in ecology to understand the effect of future climate events on the number and severity of marine disease outbreaks, particularly in vulnerable coastal ecosystems such as seagrass meadows.