BIO
Hi! I am a first-gen Latina from New York City. I grew up exploring my father's garden, developing a passion for observing and trying to understand the natural world. I earned a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Boston University, where I sharpened my attention to detail and technique. In 2017, I discovered the exceptional UVM Plant Biology Department, where in the Harris Lab, I studied salt and its effect on the symbiotic relationship between legumes and rhizobia, specifically in nodule development and function. Here, I developed a strong understanding of hypothesis testing and experimental design. Later, I continued to polish my experimental skills in the Riley Lab at UC Berkeley by working closely with a biotech company, Silver Lake Research, on optimizing a point-of-care assay that would aid in determining Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) with antibiotic resistance. At Novartis Institute of Tropical Diseases (NITD), I gained further genetic and microscopy skills in the Open Innovation program, studying the host cell-pathogen response between the liver-stage malaria parasite Plasmodium and liver cells for host-directed therapeutic applications.
While living in California for five years, I reconnected and developed a deep affinity with the earth and an interest in coding and bioinformatics. In 2022, I returned to the UVM Plant Biology department as a Ph.D. student to work in the Preston lab. Specifically, I am interested in dissecting the growth and stress resiliency relationship in the wild grass crop relative, Brachypodium distachyon, to determine how trait correlations might affect plant responses to climate change. You can find me hiking and botanizing the flora of Vermont with my pup Velma.
Bio
Hi! I am a first-gen Latina from New York City. I grew up exploring my father's garden, developing a passion for observing and trying to understand the natural world. I earned a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Boston University, where I sharpened my attention to detail and technique. In 2017, I discovered the exceptional UVM Plant Biology Department, where in the Harris Lab, I studied salt and its effect on the symbiotic relationship between legumes and rhizobia, specifically in nodule development and function. Here, I developed a strong understanding of hypothesis testing and experimental design. Later, I continued to polish my experimental skills in the Riley Lab at UC Berkeley by working closely with a biotech company, Silver Lake Research, on optimizing a point-of-care assay that would aid in determining Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) with antibiotic resistance. At Novartis Institute of Tropical Diseases (NITD), I gained further genetic and microscopy skills in the Open Innovation program, studying the host cell-pathogen response between the liver-stage malaria parasite Plasmodium and liver cells for host-directed therapeutic applications.
While living in California for five years, I reconnected and developed a deep affinity with the earth and an interest in coding and bioinformatics. In 2022, I returned to the UVM Plant Biology department as a Ph.D. student to work in the Preston lab. Specifically, I am interested in dissecting the growth and stress resiliency relationship in the wild grass crop relative, Brachypodium distachyon, to determine how trait correlations might affect plant responses to climate change. You can find me hiking and botanizing the flora of Vermont with my pup Velma.