I am a second-year Ph.D. student in the Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology program in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology track. Prior to coming to UTMB, I conducted research on emerging avian retroviruses and taught course-based research experiences about bacteriophage isolation and characterization. I have known since I was quite young that I wanted to have a career in science and ask questions, but my undergraduate experiences solidified my desire to do research. My research in Thomas Smith's lab focuses on conformational changes of murine norovirus in response to environmental conditions and how those changes affect immune evasion and disease pathologies. I also serve as the secretary of the Graduate Student Organization. My biggest goal is to make a sustained, positive impact on other trainees and help them as others have helped me. A couple of fun facts about me are I am part of the 2% of the population that successfully got Taylor Swift tickets when they went on sale (I love music) and I have two cats that I absolutely adore.
