Biography

I was born in Pittsburgh, PA but grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. Graduating in 2004 with a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill I began working as a Paramedic-Fire Fighter in Durham County, NC and Laboratory Manager at UNC-Chapel Hill. Eager to pursue a career integrating prehospital emergency medical care with basic science research I joined the MD-PhD Program at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2007. Outside of lab, I enjoy sailing, cooking, and working on local issues of social justice and environmental sustainability.

Research

My doctoral thesis adviser is Dr. Josephine Johns, a faculty member in the Psychiatry Department. In the Johns Lab, using human and rat models of maternal substance abuse, we study the biological basis of maternal neglect. A major molecule of interest to us is oxytocin, a neuropeptide necessary to induce mammalian maternal behavior. Currently, I am working on projects measuring maternal preference-like behavior and counting neurons in rat brain that express markers of increased gene expression. Ultimately our goal is to better understand the role of oxytocin in the induction of substance-abuse-induced maternal neglect.

Publications

Activities/Awards

2007 Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meetings Student Travel Award
2008 North Carolina Association of Rescue and EMS Tertiary Education Scholarship
2008 International Behavioral Neuroscience Society Student Travel Award
2008 Harold C. Pillsbury M.D. Student Research Award
2010 UNC Clinical Translation Science Award-T32 Program (TL1) Predoctoral Trainee (TLRR025745 Pisano (PI))
North Carolina Association of Rescue and EMS Tertiary Education Scholarship Recipient

I was born in Pittsburgh, PA but consider my home town to be Adelaide, South Australia.  I graduated in 2004 with a BS in Biology and Psychology from the UNC-Chapel Hill. After graduation I joined the workforce and for 3 years I functioned as a fire fighter/EMT in Durham County NC and as Research Laboratory Manager at UNC-Chapel Hill. I entered graduate school at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2007. Outside of the lab, I enjoy sailing, cooking, and gardening.  I am also active in the Triangle community around issues of social justice and environmental sustainability.I was born in Pittsburgh, PA but consider my home town to be Adelaide, South Australia.  I graduated in 2004 with a BS in Biology and Psychology from the UNC-Chapel Hill. After graduation I joined the workforce and for 3 years I functioned as a fire fighter/EMT in Durham County NC and as Research Laboratory Manager at UNC-Chapel Hill. I entered graduate school at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2007. Outside of the lab, I enjoy sailing, cooking, and gardening.  I am also active in the Triangle community around issues of social justice and environmental sustainability.