Research Assistant, UW Fellow for Academic Excellence, and UW Graduate School Top Scholar

PhD in Pathobiology program

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in Vacaville, CA and received my B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology with an emphasis in Bioethics from the University of Puget Sound, a small liberal arts school in Tacoma. I then got my masters in Biological Sciences at the Dominican University of California, working at the SENS Research Foundation, a nonprofit focused on aging research. My thesis work in Amit Sharma's lab focused on understanding the change in immunological profile with age and creating CAR-NK therapies for senescent cells. 

Why did you decide to attend the UW for graduate school?

Given my additional passions and advocacy for women's health and reproductive justice, I found that I was really excited by the community of researchers focusing on differential health outcomes for women and the maternal-fetal interface of infection. It was vital for me to be in a program that fosters the ability to continue wet lab research while also learning and conducting research with a global perspective. An additional benefit, as an active skier and hiker, was the close proximity to nature. Being able to leave the city and be outdoors within an hour is so positive for mental and physical health!

What are your research interests?

I am interested in researching the host immune response to pathogens, with a special interest in women's and children's health.

What are you enjoying most about your graduate program?

Halfway into my first year, I am most enjoying getting to know and learn from my peers. We have diverse and interesting experiences to share, and I really enjoy hearing their perspectives and passions in the discussion-based format of many of our classes. In addition, because we are such a small program with lots of faculty, I enjoy the multitude of opportunities to interact and learn with the faculty.