
Hometown: Born in California, but raised in Jacksonville, Arkansas
College Major: Biology
Hobbies: I enjoy hiking, art and spending time with my kids. I recently hiked Mt. Rainier, and it was the best hike I’ve done so far. I always look forward to the holiday season to bake fun things with my kids.
Graduate School department: GPiBS, Neuroscience
What interested you about pursuing a graduate degree?
Biology has always been a significant interest of mine. My father was diagnosed with frontal temporal dementia and that piqued my interest in neuroscience. I wanted to work on drug development to help people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. I am fortunate to work on a project that is focused on that in Dr. Fouda’s laboratory.
What do you want to do in the future, after your degree?
I am keeping my options open for the future, but I am interested in science communications. I have a fellowship focused on it, and it’s something I typically do well in. Because of that, I see an opportunity to positively impact science in that area.
What advice would you give to new grad students?
Find your why! We are fortunate to work in a hospital setting with patients. I ride the elevator and have conversations with patients who have suffered from the same diseases I study. This keeps me inspired on days when things are not going well in the lab. So, “find your why,” and keep it in front of you so that you can remember it when things get complicated in the lab.
What’s your favorite thing about your lab or department?
I love the camaraderie we have amongst lab members. We celebrate each other’s wins, and we’re not afraid of healthy debates in lab meetings. If someone needs help in or outside of work… there’s always another person there for them.
Is there anything you wish you’d done differently in grad school?
Something I tend to struggle with is finding balance in my life. Sometimes I’m doing way too many things to be humanly possible with the amount of time I have and other times I need to pick up the pace. I mitigate this by creating schedules with realistic timeline goals and sticking to them.
Do you have any recent achievements you’d like to shout out/feature?
I have received two fellowships. The first was PhRMA Foundation, which is a $62,000 predoctoral fellowship in drug discovery. The second is a science communication fellowship from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). I was able to travel to D.C. in February for ARVO to discuss the importance of research with the national legislature on Advocacy Day. (Congratulations!)
Last one; time for a fun question: Who inspires you?
Before neuroscience, I was working in the cancer field. Once, I got on the elevator to leave work for the day, and an older gentleman also got on. I could tell he was bursting at the seams with happiness. I asked how his day was going, and he said excellent. He was so excited to get home and tell his wife that he was in remission for the first time and was going to take her to dinner to celebrate. I think about that elevator ride often and how much people are relying on the work that we do as biomedical scientists. The future of this field is what inspires me.
Thank you, Katie and Carol, for your participation. Congratulations on your recent achievements, and we look forward to seeing more of your accomplishments in the future.