Dr. Rachel Tandias grew up in northeastern Wisconsin and attended Harvard College, graduating summa cum laude with Highest Honors in Chemistry. As an undergraduate, she performed research on mechanisms of cardiac aging at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and was supported by the Herchel Smith-Harvard Research Fellowship. She was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, earned Bok Center Certificates of Distinction in Teaching as an organic chemistry teaching fellow, and was named the 2016 Harvard House Intramurals Female Athlete of the Year. After graduating, Dr. Tandias spent two years working in clinical research in ophthalmology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where she studied outcomes of vitreoretinal surgical techniques. 

Dr. Tandias went on to earn her MD from Harvard Medical School. As a medical student, she conducted research in the field of retinal imaging under the mentorship of Dr. John B. Miller at Mass Eye and Ear. She has presented her work at various conferences and has published her research in journals such as Ophthalmology Retina, Survey of Ophthalmology, Retina, and Circulation Research.

In addition to her scientific endeavors, Dr. Tandias has a longstanding commitment to teaching and mentorship. She has served as a Resident Tutor in Kirkland House at Harvard College since 2017. Her role involves providing pre-medical and academic advising, serving as lead coordinator of Kirkland Intramural Athletics, and promoting a safe and welcoming environment within the undergraduate residential community.