My research is on overcoming the penetration-resistance of the tumor environment by arming protein nanoparticles with conditional proteases from the MMP enzyme family. These proteases locally degrade ECM components allowing for tunneling like behavior of the drug-loaded nanoparticle. By marrying the tissue remodeling activity of certain MMPs with multiple control architectures, the resulting nanoparticles will differentiate healthy tissue from solid tumors. For this ambitious project I am co-advised by Dr. Wilfred Chen who has extensive expertise in protein engineering as well as Dr. Millicent Sullivan who has strong expertise in drug delivery systems.

My research though the Griswold internship focused on the development of a force-sensitive drug delivery system. I primarily worked on generating physical models of the tumor microenvironment using self-assembled collagen fibril structures to select aptamers using SELEX that have a high selectivity towards the collagen dense tumor microenvironment.

I conducted physical and cognitive testing for the Physical Activity and Aging Study (PAAS) to gain further insights on the relationship between physical activity levels and mortality as well as cognitive decline.

Tutored organic chemistry II through the ISU Academic Success Center, my group sessions focused on building learning strategies to help students succeed.

My work with Dr. Lamont centered on optimizing the isolation process of RNA from various tissue types and then isolating and characterizing large quantities of samples from each tissue type once an ideal procedure had been identified.

My research focused on the synthesis of novel hetero structured nano materials, I had two main projects. The synthesis of a nowotony-juza phase Li-Zn-Br semi conductor and the synthesis and characterization of a Cu-In-S semi conductor.

At this high performance computing internship my focus was in bio-mechanics. I worked with Dr. Anamika Prasad to develop code that extracts information from SEM cross sections of sunflowers in order to improve understandings of the physiological stresses and changes a sunflower experiences with phomopsis stem canker.