Co-taught 3 periods of 6th grade computer science, with a focus on developing students’ programming skills in Scratch and their criticality around data, information, and computing

Under the guidance of mentor teacher Kathryn Kelsey, employed anti-racist and culturally responsive pedagogies as well as trauma-informed and restorative justice practices to teach biology to 9-10th grade immigrant and refugee students from >12 different countriesPlanned and taught 3 Carbon Time units utilizing the Ambitious Science Teaching model: Plants, Ecosystems, and Human Energy Systems, and co-taught the Systems and Scales and Animals unitsDifferentiated instruction and assessment for students with limited or interrupted formal education,L1-L3 English language learners, and students with IEP and 504 plans

Participated in the screening and nomination of lead engineered T cell receptor (eTCR) candidates specific for human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 oncogenic protein E7, and for the acute myeloid leukemia target Wilms tumor protein (WT1). Assisted in scale-up efforts involving both lentiviral transduction and a dual CRISPR-Cas9/Adeno-associated virus (AAV) approach for targeted insertion into the T cell receptor alpha constant locus using homology directed repair (HDR) for in vivo studies for lead HPV-16 E7-specific eTCR, and characterized WT1 expression on various tumor targets for screening of WT1-specific eTCRs using qPCR Tested various immune modulatory fusion protein (IFP) constructs designed to bind a widely expressed tumor antigen to deliver a costimulatory signal in conjunction with HPV-16 E7-specific eTCR-antigen engagement. IFP-TCR constructs were delivered using dual CRISPR-Cas9/AAV HDR, and T cells expressing the eTCR and IFP were tested against antigen presenting cell lines pulsed with E7 peptide and an HPV-16+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line, and proliferation and IL-2 production were measured to assess costimulatory function compared to eTCR alone. Future studies to address safety and in vivo function of the IFPs will be undertaken following additional in vitro validation to establish a lead construct.Contributed to studies in collaboration with external partners by establishing a screening platform involving approaches described above for evaluating KLK3 eTCR candidates identified by Immatics for prostate cancer, and assisting in in vitro studies to investigate the combination of CD40L armoring developed by Obsidian Therapeutics as a next-generation approach for our HPV-16 E7 eTCR clinical candidate.

• Conducted research in Dr. Seth Pollack’s laboratory comparing the efficacy of various patient-derived T cell receptors (TCRs) in targeting the antigen NY-ESO-1 to kill tumor by sequencing and constructing the complete TCRs which were then transduced into T cells. Flow cytometry was utilized to sort T cells containing the TCR, which were expanded and tested with chromium and cytokine release assay against various sarcoma cell lines to identify the TCR best able to kill tumor. Future clinical trials will involve the administration of the most effective TCRs with a costimulatory chimeric antigen receptor to sarcoma patients to boost immune response • Processed patient blood, tumor biopsies, and leukapheresis products for clinical trials involving the administration of glucopyranosyl lipid A, interferon gamma, or NYESO-1 inducing vaccine, to stimulate immune response against sarcoma and carcinoma. Analyzed the tumor microenvironment and macrophage response using flow cytometry and FlowJo software, and conducted epitope mapping with ELISPOT on peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from leukapheresis products• Managed laboratory operations by communicating with collaborators, purchasing and maintaining equipment, ordering supplies, updating sample inventories, training a new technician and post-doctoral research fellow, and analyzing, documenting, and presenting results

• Contributed to a study by Anne Veillet and Dr. Donald Price comparing genetic diversity between Nene and Canada geese for the purpose of understanding inbreeding depression in native Hawai’ian Nene geese to establish better conservation strategies using DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing, and Next Generation Sequencing• Utilized DNA extraction, PCR, restriction enzyme digestion, and gel electrophoresis to sex native Hawai’i ‘Amakihi for a study by Jacquelyn Gaudioso and Dr. Patrick Hart investigating plumage color variation to establish better bird identification techniques in the field• Aided Eva Brill and Dr. Donald Price in the assessment of sterility in backcrosses of Drosophila silvestris and Drosophila planitiba for the purpose of understanding the evolution of male sterility in native Hawai’ian Drosophila by preparing food for and feeding flies, dissecting flies, and extracting RNA and DNA• Mentored undergraduate and graduate students in the conduct of lab techniques such as DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, Sanger Sequencing, and Sequencher and MEGA software

• Under the mentorship of Dr. Stephanie Child and Dr. Adam Geballe, assessed the effects of removing the gp145 from guinea pig cytomegalovirus to determine its efficacy at antagonizing host antiviral response factors in guinea pig lung fibroblasts. Utilized tissue culture, viral infections in vitro, viral titering, RNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, and immunoblotting and determined that the gene in question was responsible for antagonizing various host cell antiviral response factors for the purpose of utilizing it as a potential target for cytomegalovirus vaccine development• Designed a hygromycin-resistant plasmid containing a tetracycline-inducible human Protein Kinase R gene using molecular and Gibson cloning techniques for use in future studies

• Conducted research in Dr. Techung Lee’s laboratory analyzing the effects of Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 2 and Transforming Growth Factor β on cultured cardiac fibroblasts and embryonic fibroblasts utilizing tissue culture, gelatin zymography, ELISA, Western Blot, protein assays, RNA extraction, RT-PCR, and q-PCR to use as a potential target for cell therapy against cardiac fibrosis