Education

• BS, Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• PhD, Molecular Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Bio, Research Interests, and Projects

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs in Illinois and attended the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities for my undergraduate degree where I obtained a major in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development and a minor in French Studies. For my undergraduate research, I studied the mechanisms of heart regeneration using zebrafish as a model organism. After obtaining my BS, I worked at the University of Chicago as a Research Specialist investigating the mechanisms of drug resistance in neuroblastoma and discovering new therapeutic targets. I then decided to pursue a PhD and joined the Molecular Medicine program at the University of Iowa in 2017. During my PhD I examined the biological role of the protein Vinculin and how disruptions of Vinculin’s function as a mechanosensitive protein affects cancer progression. I concluded my graduate studies in 2022 where I then joined the Tanas Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar.

My work in the Tanas Lab focuses on advancing our mechanistic understanding of Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma, which is a vascular sarcoma characterized by the gene fusions TAZ-CAMTA1 or YAP-TFE3. Currently, I am examining the effects of dual combination therapy targeting the Hippo Pathway and PI3K Pathway in cells expressing these fusion proteins. These studies will provide insight into how the fusion proteins drive sarcomagenesis.