I grew up just outside of Philadelphia and completed my undergraduate education at Bowdoin College where I majored in chemistry and mathematics. Upon graduation, my interests shifted towards infectious diseases, and I became a Research Assistant in Dr. Terence Dermody’s lab at Vanderbilt University. My two main projects while in the Dermody lab included determining the capacity of several compounds found in breast milk to inhibit viral replication and using reovirus as a vaccine vector to target HIV-1 or influenza.

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My experience in the Dermody lab cemented my interest in host pathogen interactions and led me to Duke’s Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. At Duke, I joined Dr. Soman Abraham’s lab where my current research focuses on the interaction of Yersinia pestis with the immune response and mast cell regranulation.

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When I am not in lab, I can be found playing ultimate frisbee, enjoying many of the great restaurants in Durham, cooking at home with friends, or playing with my dog, Dizzy. I am also a loud supporter of the Philadelphia Eagles.