About

B.S. (2013) Biology, University of New Mexico

B.S. (2013) Biochemistry, University of New Mexico
Ph.D. (2022) Biological Sciences, George Washington University

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I am a comparative immunologist interested in the evolution and diversification of immune gene families and how that relates to the ecosystems in which they are found.

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I was born and raised in central New Mexico. I attended  the University of New Mexico (UNM) where I received my bachelor's degree in both biology and biochemistry.  At UNM I was a part of the Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity (IMSD) program. Through this program I was able to spend two years in the laboratory of Dr. Sam Loker conducting research on the immune system of the genus of snails, Biomphalaria, in response to parasite infection with Schistosoma.  This research helped to pave the way for my interest in comparative immunology and led to me pursuit of a Ph.D.

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My Ph.D. research has focused on the immune system of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus within the lab of Dr. L. Courtney Smith at George Washington University in Washington DC.  My work In the Smith lab introduced me to the immune gene family known as the Transformer  genes which expanded my research into bioinformatic analysis through an evaluation of the evolution of this immune gene family. This project in particular led to my interest in the evolution of immune genes.  In addition to bioinformatic work I conducted immune challenge experiments to  identify changes in the immune cell populations in response to various pathogens, tracking these population changes by flow cytometry.

 

To date my career and outreach goals focus on my interest in immunology, understudied organisms, conservation, and community development. In my future career I hope to further these interests by expanding my training and knowledge, studying organisms that are understudied yet ecologically important to the local communities, and supporting my community through developing educational content for a wide range of educational levels to further support my community.