I am a PhD candidate in the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering and a member of the DeRisi Lab at UCSF, where we utilize genomic approaches to study infectious diseases and identify viral pathogens associated with diseases of unknown etiology. Here, I have been using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to identify and explore host factors that determine productive infection of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Additionally, through our lab, I have been working with Unidos en Salud, an academic-community-city partnership, to sequence and track SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern present and developing in the local Mission District community.

I received my bachelor's degree in biological engineering from MIT, where I spent the majority of my time studying the mechanical forces that influence cancer metastasis and volunteering for organizations that promote early and targeted exposure of science and engineering to women. Following graduation in 2015, I worked on identifying biomarkers for antibiotic resistence in pathogenic bacteria and developing tools for diagnosing bacterial infections at the Broad Institute.

Outside of research, I enjoy cycling and am beginning to learn to enjoy mountain biking.