Mentor: Pamela Chang

Education:

Williams College – B.A. with Honors in Chemistry (2013-2017)

Awards and Honors

• American Chemical Society Connecticut Valley Award
• Sigma Xi
• Williams College Biochemistry Class of 1960s Scholar
• National Merit Scholarship recipient
• Wellesley College Book Award

Research Experience:

• 2016-2017: Research assistant in Dr. Jimmy Blair’s lab evaluating histidine kinase inhibitors for antibiotic potential
• 2015: Research assistant in Dr. Sarah Goh’s lab creating shape-memory polymers from polycaprolactone
• 2012: Intern in Dr. Alan Grossfield’s lab studying structural dynamics of GPCRs

Current Research Activities:

My research focuses on understanding how the community of organisms in the human gut modulates the immune system of its host. Gut microbes can affect the host immune system by secreting secondary metabolites; however, the mechanisms of action of these metabolites are not well understood. In my project, I hope to characterize the mechanisms through which microbial metabolites affect host cell signaling pathways to ultimately alter the host’s immune response. This will provide a greater understanding of diseases associated with gut microbiome dysbiosis, such as inflammatory bowel disease, and could lead to potential therapies.