Biography
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology-chemistry from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2014. I became interested in the brain and development after working as a tutor with a student on the autism spectrum. I joined the neuroscience curriculum and Dr. Rebecca Knickmeyer Santelli’s lab in the spring of 2015. In 2016, I was accepted to the UNC MD/PhD program and am currently in the second year of medical school.
Research
My research in the Santelli lab focuses on the role of the gut microbiome in modulating early brain development and behavior through the gut-brain axis. Specifically, I want to determine how microbial colonization impacts anxious behavior in the developing child and identify signaling mechanisms and neural circuits mediating this relationship.
Publications
Activities/Awards
Neurobiology Predoctoral Training Grant, 2014-2016
UNC MSTP Training Grant, 2016-2017
