Profile
Encouraged and supported by my parents to pursue my passion for learning and teaching, I returned to school after a lengthy hiatus in the business world. I returned to Palomar College as a Biology major where I was introduced to laboratory research as a Bridges scholar. I continued on to Cal State University, San Marcos where I had the incredible opportunity to begin my research career in Dr. Matthew Escobar's lab. With his excellent guidance, I studied how plants respond on a molecular level to changes in soil pH. The programs offered to me as a Bridges, RISE, and MARC scholar helped me develop as a researcher and were critical to my success in applying to and gaining admission to graduate school. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from CSUSM with a BS in Biology in 2008 and started my PhD at UCSD that fall. I am completing my doctoral research in Dr. Emily Troemel’s lab, studying how the tiny roundworm C. elegans is able to distinguish the gram negative human pathogen P. aeruginosa from more innocuous bacteria, and mount a protective response against this ubiquitous pathogen. Outside of my research, I enjoy the fantastic support that our Biological Sciences department provides for my efforts to encourage and help prepare undergraduates from diverse backgrounds to pursue graduate education. I hope to continue to support these efforts as I continue through my career.
