I worked as a research assistant in the Morita Lab while completing my undergraduate studies. I examined the interaction of the septal protein SepIVA with the Intracellular Membrane Domain (IMD) in Mycobacterium smegmatis. I also looked at the interaction of an anti-bacterial nanopolymer with M. smegmatis. For my honors thesis, I discovered two proteins that associate with Lipid Droplets within M. smegmatis, an organelle which may have persistence implications. Lastly, I created M. tuberculosis vectors with IMD associating proteins tagged with a fluorescent probe. In addition to the technical skills, I was responsible for creating presentations of my collected data and sharing them in weekly meetings with my peers for collaboration. We also read recent and relevant journal papers which I was responsible to read, occasionally present, and talk about its scientific implications.

In this role I was responsible for supervising upwards of 50 residents at a time and creating an inviting community for freshman year. I enforced university policies in a firm but compassionate manner. Throughout the year, I collaborated with fellow staff members in the building to plan and execute engaging activities for residents to partake in.

I completed a summer internship with the Starnbach lab at Harvard Medical School. Under the guidance of graduate students, I examined dendritic cell subset activity in mice during infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct). I also explored uterus infection pathology from the activity of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase. Lastly, I assisted in developing an infection model using various organoids to investigate the immune response to Ct.

In this industry job, I conducted animal necropsy on pigs, sheep, rabbits, and rats. I was responsible for tissue perfusion, special tissue collection, device removal, organ weights, and macroscopic photography during these procedures. I followed protocols and SOPs to generate consistent, reliable raw data under GLP, FDA, EPA, and OSHA guidelines and regulatory compliance. I also organized tissue labeling, laboratory supplies and reagent inventories, and contributed in creating an organizational infrastructure to sort raw data from procedures.