As a Ph.D. candidate, my research focuses on developing targeted therapies against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). I have developed an orthotopic PDAC mouse model with bioluminescent tumors for easy tracking of cancer progression. Utilizing this model I develop and test therapies against the rampant immunosuppression and metastatic behavior of this cancer. To do so, I utilize a wide array of technical skills including flow cytometry, multiplexed immunofluorescence, and molecular biology techniques to not only assess treatment outcomes, but to also elucidate the pathways involved.

Undergraduate research in the Andrew Palmer laboratory aiming to discover the molecular basis for quorum sensing in the unicellular eukaryote Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. My research involved organic isolation and identification of small signaling molecules via LC-MS and characterization of algae behavior via ImageJ video analysis.