Tell us a little bit about yourself 

I grew up in a military family, so my childhood was far from normal. I attended 9 schools and moved 10 times before I went to college. I attended the University of Texas where I graduated with a bachelor's in public health on a pre-medical science track. I then got my master's in Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and continued to work at JHBSPH as a research technician for Dr. Doug Norris to understand the transmission interface of malaria vectors. 

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

With my background in public health and international fieldwork, it was very important for me to be in a program that maintained a one-health perspective in research. UW's department of Global health gives me the opportunity to do my wet lab research in the Pathobiology program, but also to conduct that research with a global and holistic perspective. 

What are your research interests? 

Broadly, my research interests lie in vector borne diseases and their growing impact on communities globally.  

What are you enjoying most about your graduate program? 

I love the collaborative environment that is promoted within this program!