Xhoela is originally from Albania and majored in Molecular Biology and Genetics with a minor in Economics at Istanbul Technical University, Turkey. She graduated with the highest distinction as valedictorian of the Faculty of Sciences and Letters and was awarded the Scholarship of Excellence from the Albanian Government and the Success Scholarship from the Turkish government. She was also awarded two Erasmus fellowships to perform research in reputable institutes in Spain and Germany. At Dartmouth, she studies live cellular and organellar dynamics in the brain as an American Heart Association predoctoral fellow and an Albert J. Ryan Foundation fellow. Her research has various implications both in health conditions during development and adulthood as well as in neurodegeneration and age-related pathologies. Xhoela serves as a student representative on the MCB Graduate Committee and is representing Dartmouth at the New England Graduate Women in Science and Engineering alliance. She is passionate about taking leadership initiatives and promoting science and was selected as a Leader of Tomorrow by the Global Biotech Revolution organization and in the top 100+ global women leaders in STEMM from Homeward Bound. She enjoys learning new languages (she can communicate in 6 of them) as well as exploring new cultures. Her hobbies include traveling, hiking, and kayaking.