Mentor: Georg Jander
Education:
Northwestern University – B.A. in Chemistry, Environmental Science, September 2012 – June 2016
Awards and Honors
Undergraduate/Graduate
- Dennison Graduate Fellowship (2018-2019)
- Northwestern University magna cum laude (2016)
- ACS Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry (2015)
- Dr. Kesava K. Bhogaraju Global Health Fellowship (2014)
Research Experience:
Laboratory Technician
University of Utah (Coley/Kursar lab) — 2016-2018
UPLC-MS of small molecule extracts from leaves; data analysis and management in Python, R, SQL
Independent Undergraduate Research
Wagenius lab, Chicago Botanic Garden — 2015-2016
quantitative analysis of Echinacea reproductive patterns in prairie remnants
West Nile Surveillance Intern
Evanston Health Department — 2015
quantitative daily surveys of Culex mosquito populations and West Nile Virus prevalence
Public Health Field Research
U. of Dar es Salaam and Northwestern U. — 2014
qualitative research on solid waste pollution
Current Research Activities:
Cardiac glycosides are defensive plant metabolites that act as allosteric inhibitors of Na+,K+-ATPases, making them toxic to insects and mammals in high doses. However, lower doses are used to treat congestive heart failure and are actively being investigated as treatments for cancer and other diseases. I plan to use the crucifer genus Erysimum as a model for understanding cardiac glycoside biosynthesis and function. My research has two primary aims: i) Understand the role of cardiac glycoside structural diversity including isomeric structure, glycosylation, and acylation in altering potency and specificity as Na+,K+-ATPase inhibitors, and ii) Identify genes involved in cardiac glycoside biosynthesis.