I earned my BA from The Elms College in Chicopee, MA in 2007. In 2008 I began work at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA as a Cytogenetics Technologist. I joined the CMB program in the fall of 2009 and am a PhD candidate in the lab of Dr. Nicholas Heintz. I love living in Vermont where incredible skiing, mountain biking and hiking are right around the corner!

My research is focused on how alterations in mitochondria architecture, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and changes in gene expression of mitochondria antioxidant enzymes supports tumorigenesis in malignant mesothelioma (MM). We utilize a number of ROS sensors, mitochondrial targeted drugs, and novel compounds to aid in our understanding of how mitochondria support MM tumor growth and survival. The overall theme of our research is to target alterations in the redox status of MM mitochondria as a means of therapy in MM.

Mitochondria of a mesothelial cell