Microbiologist interested in the processes bacteria use to thrive in their environment and how we can harness those capabilities to solve real-world problems. My favorite microbes are not only able to respire rocks, but they can also produce electrical current when grown on poised electrodes. I study how the biofilms formed by these organisms work- how they transfer electrons across the biofilm so that cells far away from the electrode can still respire, how cell activity is stratified within the biofilm depending on the distance of each cell from the electrode, and the different metabolic pathways that these organisms can use to transfer electrons into the extracellular space. My work has lead to the construction of a strain that produces 40% more current than our control strain and a deeper understanding of how cells survive within current-producing biofilms.I have experience working for industry as a microbiologist with Talam Biotech, which develops microbial solutions to problems faced by the agriculture industry. I did my postdoc with Leonard Tender's group at the Naval Research Laboratory contracted through George Mason University where I studied conductivity through biofilms from both host-associated and aquatic environments. I hold a PhD from the University of Minnesota as part of Daniel Bond's lab where I studied the microbial physiology of current-producing organisms as well as their metabolism when growing as biofilms and their metal-reduction capabilities. As a lab member, I have trained and supervised junior lab members and interns, written and updated Standard Operating Procedures, and been responsible for the setup of anaerobic microbiology workspaces. As a professional scientist, I have presented in national and international conferences winning several best talk/best poster awards and co-chaired the virtual version of the annual meeting for the International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technologies. I also routinely review manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and participate in outreach activities. I am fluent in English and Spanish.