I grew up in Palo Alto, California, and did my undergraduate studies at Lewis & Clark College in Portland OR, where I majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. After graduating, I worked for two years at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD, where I was in a chemical biology/pharmacology lab. I have been at the University of Iowa since then as a Biomedical Sciences PD grad student and have been in Amy’s lab since May 2024. Here, I am investigating the molecular mechanisms of how intergrins and the extracellular matrix mediate lung basal cell stemness and differentiation, and how those mechanisms are disrupted in diseases such as COPD.

I enjoy watching TV and playing video games, traveling, and hanging out with friends.

Fun fact: I am a massive fan of all things Star Wars, one might say I have a PhD in Star Wars.