Research Experience
My experience as an interdisciplinary biology researcher has given me in-depth knowledge of longstanding and emerging concepts in biology, and it has taught me to communicate science effectively. Over the past 12 years, I have conducted research in four integrative laboratories where my work spanned the biology of small molecules to whole organisms. My breadth of biology knowledge and ability to transmit information effectively uniquely prepare me to bridge fundamental biological concepts in my teaching endeavors.
Imaging activity of sensory neurons in response to environmental stimulants. Left: a microfluidic chip delivers odors to a worm's nose. Right: sensory neuron activity is recorded using a fluorescent calcium indicator.
Molecular neurobiology and behavior
As a postdoctoral research fellow at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, I studied the molecular and cellular basis of behavior in the lab of Dr. Sreekanth Chalasani. Using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, I investigated how neuronal function affects animal behavior and longevity, probing links between specific sensory neurons, signaling mechanisms, and overall organism health.
Cell and developmental marine biology
As a graduate research fellow, my work spanned the fields of marine biology, cell and developmental biology, and environmental science in the lab of Dr. Amro Hamdoun at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. Using embryos of the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, I studied how a group of membrane transporters contribute to developmental signaling and protection against environmental chemicals. My dissertation unveiled a novel extracellular signaling role for cyclic AMP and a developmental function of a previously uncharacterized ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter.
Using high resolution imaging and digital reconstruction to visualize membrane transport proteins during embryonic development.
Preserving glucocorticoid-exposed tissue for gene expression analyses and lipid profiling.
Molecular physiology and endocrinology
As a Staff Research Associate and Laboratory Manager, I studied cellular physiology, gene regulation, and endocrinology in the lab of Dr. Jen-Chywan (Wally) Wang at UC Berkeley. Working with mice and cell culture systems, I characterized mechanisms of gene induction by steroid hormones glucocorticoids, and the role of these genes in anti-inflammatory and metabolic physiology.
Capturing sounds of the California spiny lobster in the field at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island.
Organismal behavior and biomechanics
As an undergraduate researcher at UC Berkeley, I studied organismal behavior and biomechanics in the lab of Dr. Sheila Patek (now at Duke University). I analyzed variations in sound production of the California spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus, identifying novel features of the unique rasp sounds that are generated from a friction mechanism at the base of the antennae.