Education

BS, Biology, University of California, Riverside

Bio, Research Interests, and Projects

I was born and raised in San Diego, CA and I had the opportunity to intern at a few local pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies during the summers of my undergrad. I was able explore different topics including molecular and cellular biology, and immunology. After graduating from UCR, I worked in industry for one year at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, focusing on metabolic drug discovery for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

After coming to the University of Iowa, I became interested in cancer research and joined the Tanas Lab. I am currently studying how the TAZ transcriptional program promotes metastasis in sarcomas. I am also following up on previous research done in the lab about the role of PI3K-Akt signaling in sarcomagenesis.

Outside of lab, I enjoy cooking, trying new foods, and collecting chef knives. My newest hobby is foraging for mushrooms and other wild edibles.