I am a postdoctoral research fellow at Emory University School of Medicine in the laboratory of Dionna W. Williams, Ph.D. studying the metabolic consequences of HIV infection. I earned my Ph.D. in the Biochemistry, Cellular & Molecular Biology Graduate Program at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the laboratory of Michael Wolfgang, Ph.D evaluating the capacity for the brain to oxidize fatty acids under normal conditions. I earned my B.S. summa cum laude at Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Mercer University and participated in undergraduate summer research experiences at the University of Kentucky where I first developed an interest in neuroscience while training with Matthew Gentry, Ph.D. I am invested in initiatives and organizations that mentor, support, and advocate for historically excluded scientists. I serve as a peer mentor for the Hopkins NIH-funded Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program and have previously served as vice president of programming for the Biomedical Scholar’s Association. Furthermore, I was a co-organizer for the inaugural Hopkins Excellence in Diversity Symposium and several Second Look Visits for Accepted Underrepresented Students.