Ana grew up in West Simsbury, Connecticut, about 15 miles from Hartford, although she's also lived in Miami and San Francisco, and has spent much of her vacations traveling. Her father is from Angeles City, Philippines and her mother is of German descent. Ana attended Wellesley College, majoring in Biological Chemistry, and is working on her M.D. and Ph. D. at the University of Rochester. She is interested in becoming a cancer researcher, and presently is a graduate student in the Mark Noble lab and is studying therapies to prevent chemotherapy induced cognitive deficits. Ana's many hobbies include pottery, polymer clay, stamp collecting and gardening.