• Joined: Fall 2020
• Status: PhD Candidate
• Graduation: Spring 2025

Research Interests

• Cell-material interactions
• Extracellular matrix mechanics
• Pancreatic cancer stem cells

Current Research

My primary interests lie in the hidden cues in a cell’s environment that drive its behavior. Here at UT Austin, I joined the Suggs and Matsui Labs to investigate how mechanical cues in the extracellular matrix influence migration and stemness, key features of malignancy in pancreatic cancer cells. My hope is that my research propels novel cancer therapeutics and provides the next generation of scientists with answers to their own budding questions.

Academic and professional background

I earned my BS in Neuroscience from Northeastern University in 2015. Through the NEU Co-op Program, I completed three six month research experiences: (1) QinetiQ-NA working on organic synthesis of chemical warfare decontaminants, (2) Pfizer investigating the neurocircuitry of schizophrenia, and (3) Dr James Monaghan's Development & Regeneration Laboratory implementing CRISPR to identify genes essential for regeneration in the Mexican Axolotl salamander. As an avid equestrian, I also wrote and successfully defended a proposal to start NEU's first IHSA Equestrian Team and led the team to Reserve Champion in our first semester. After graduation, I joined the Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science where I conducted flow cytometric analysis of human tissues to discover immunosuppressive characteristics of various types of cancers. Before coming to UT, I accepted a position as a biomedical engineering research associate in the Technology Development Division (TDD) at Luna Labs where I contributed to the R&D for SBIR/STTR programs, including constructs for wound healing and drug delivery, forensic tools, and diagnostic devices.