Q: Please tell us about yourself. Where did you live before Seattle and what were you doing?

A: I am from Okemos, Michigan and attended the University of Michigan where I majored in Biochemistry and minored in Gender & Health. During my time at U of M, I worked in the lab of Dr. Michal Olszewski where we studied host-pathogen interaction at the interface of the innate and adaptive immunity.

Q: What are your recent research interests? What research are you doing as a Research Assistant (RA)?

A: After graduation in 2016, I moved to the DC area where I worked in Dr. Sanjay Desai’s lab. Our group examined the parasite P. falciparum, the pathogen that causes malaria, and how these parasites are able to acquire nutrients from the human bloodstream. This work solidified my passion for infectious disease research and led me to apply to graduate school. Since beginning in the Pathobiology PhD program, I have been rotating with Dr. Tanya Parish studying potential new drugs for tuberculosis.