ESP Biography



RENAUD VANN, Very friendly, sometimes geeky, and always chatty.




Major: Biology

College/Employer: Stanford University

Year of Graduation: 2010

Picture of Renaud Vann

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Originally from Socal (Cathedral City to be specific)--I grew up in the Coachella Valley, which lies in the Colorado Desert. The desert is awesome--but a bit like an island. Everyone's either itching to get out of there, or never wanting to leave.

I am from multiple ethic backgrounds--my mother is Russian, Lithuanian and Armenian--my father is African American and Native American. To make things even more complicated, I'm also adopted--my parents are both African American (with my Dad being also Native American).

I've been attracted to the idea of being a medical physician since junior high--it's always personally struck me as the perfect balance of engagement in humanity. A good doctor will accommodate multiple aspects of human needs--diagnosing pathology, teaching patients, guiding other support staff, delving into physiological, psychological, and social concerns, etc.--it's quite a dance. I'd love to do that.

I love music (especially when running) and am continuously amazed at the diverse and powerful effect that music can create. I am always excited to find new artists and catch local shows. I am a huge fan of science-fiction novels, especially authors that do a fantastic job of creating detailed universes within their stories (Asimov, Herbert, Heinlein, etc.) On that note, I love adventure-based video games--ones with creative stories and dynamic controls. I also was an avid soccer player growing up. I love swimming and being suspended in water, but unfortunately I'm not a fast swimmer.

I graduated from Stanford University in 2010 with a BS in Biology. I currently live in San Francisco and work at Gilead Sciences, Inc. in Foster City.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

B3335: “I’m HIV Positive”: A Brief Look into How HIV Infects and Affects Our Society in Splash! Fall 2013 (Nov. 02 - 03, 2013)
This course will first quickly explore the basics of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)–covering what HIV is, how HIV is transmitted, and how HIV affects humans physiologically in the form of AIDS. With that basis, we can then explore how HIV has become a considerable problem in many countries, how our views about sexuality lead to discrimination against HIV positive people, why there are so many misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, and what has been done to slow the spread of disease.


B2748: “I’m HIV Positive”: A Brief Look into How HIV Infects and Affects Our Society in Splash! Spring 2013 (Apr. 13 - 14, 2013)
This course will first quickly explore the basics of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)–covering what HIV is, how HIV is transmitted, and how HIV affects humans physiologically in the form of AIDS. With that basis, we can then explore how HIV has become a considerable problem in many countries, how our views about sexuality lead to discrimination against HIV positive people, why there are so many misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, and what has been done to slow the spread of disease.


B2570: "I'm HIV Positive": A Brief Look into How HIV Infects and Affects Our Society in Splash! Fall 2012 (Nov. 03 - 04, 2012)
This course will first quickly explore the basics of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)--covering what HIV is, how HIV is transmitted, and how HIV affects humans physiologically in the form of AIDS. With that basis, we can then explore how HIV has become a considerable problem in many countries, how our views about sexuality lead to discrimination against HIV positive people, why there are so many misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, and what has been done to slow the spread of disease.


S716: "I'm HIV Positive": A Brief Look into How HIV/AIDS Infects and Affects our Society in Splash! Spring 2010 (Apr. 17 - 18, 2010)
This course will first quickly explore the basics of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)--covering what HIV is, how HIV is transmitted, and how HIV affects humans physiologically in the form of AIDS. With that basis, we can then explore how HIV has become a considerable problem in many countries, how our views about sexuality lead to discrimination against HIV positive people, why there are so many misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, and what has been done to slow the spread of disease.