I graduated from the University of New Mexico in May, 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. In August, 2019 I joined the CU Denver Anschutz Medical Campus Immunology Graduate Program to begin working towards a Ph.D. in Immunology. I complete my thesis work in Prof. Jordan Jacobelli's lab where I investigated the role of multiple cytoskeletal effector proteins and their interactions in T lymphocyte trafficking and migration. I specifically focused on the biochemical and molecular mechanisms by which they function to promote T cell functionality.

My first research experience was during my undergraduate degree under the mentorship of Prof. Lina Cui, where I assisted with the development of a novel beta-galactosidase probe intended for use with fluorescent lifetime measurements to probe cellular senescence in real-time. The following summer, I traveled to the University of California Los Angeles for a summer research fellowship where I worked under the mentorship of Prof. Steven J Bensinger. At UCLA, I investigated the role of fatty acid metabolism in the polarization and function of macrophages using metabolomic assays and standard immunological techniques. Upon returning to New Mexico for my final year of undergraduate work, I began working under the mentorship of Prof. Robert Orlando. Here I began the initial troubleshooting and optimization process for investigating mutants of the cholesterol transport protein, NPC1, and its role in obesity pathogenesis.

For my doctoral education, I enrolled in the Immunology Ph.D. Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. I initially rotated with Prof. Shaodong Dai, where I investigated the role of MHC Class II structure and function in the development of Type I Diabetes. During my second rotation, I worked with Prof. Raul Torres to investigate the role of lysophosphatidic acid, an immunologically relevant lipid species, in T cell function and exhaustion.