Houston Dash standout who does cancer research selected for 2023 World Cup

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Michelle Alozie is taking her talents to the world stage - and she has many talents.

Alozie, a standout defender for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League, has been named to Nigeria's roster for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

As ABC13 featured in 2022, Alozie's elite abilities are not limited to the soccer field.

Alozie, who has a degree in molecular biology from Yale, has worked as a research technician in the pediatric leukemia research lab at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, even doing so in-season.

"If I finish here (with the Dash) at noon or 1 p.m., I'll run over to the lab," Alozie, who has a goal and an assist in 11 games for the club in 2023, explained to ABC13 last year. "Thankfully, it's really close to our facility, so I'll just run over to the med center and help out with wherever my coworkers left off. I'll usually go in on weekends, too."

When her playing days are done, Alozie plans to attend medical school. But until she hangs up her cleats, she says she'll keep chasing both her dreams.

"At the end of day, it's just a passion," Alozie said. "I'm fighting for this little girl inside me who has always wanted to play soccer and has always wanted to be an awesome, cool doctor."

"Michelle has exactly what I look for in everybody I want to work with. She has fire," Dr. Alex Stevens, a pediatric oncologist at Texas Children's, shared. "She has the desire to make a difference in the world - to use her talents and strengths to the best of her ability, and I love that. It's what moves the field of pediatric oncology forward. She'll be a fantastic doctor when she's ready. She has so many talents, and life is short. She's living her dream as a professional soccer player and having the potential to impact the lives of children for decades to come."

The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup begins July 20 and will be held in Australia and New Zealand.

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