My Thesis project for my M.S. degree investigates how different adjuvants enhance the vaccine-induced immunity of a Zika recombinant immune complex (RIC) vaccine. Specifically, I am exploring the use of the TLR5-binding segment of bacterial flagellin as an adjuvant candidate to enhance RIC performance through dual stimulation of the PAMP and complement pathways. This approach aims to improve the immunogenicity of the ZE3 antigen, driving a stronger Th1 immune response and enhancing CD8 T cell activation to create a more effective Zika vaccine candidate.I have been awarded the 2023 GPSA Graduate Student Research Support Grant, the GPSA 2024 Jumpstart grant, and the 2023 3rd Place SOLS 2023 Poster Competition award to support this research.

I continue to serve as a teaching assistant for many classes at ASU, including Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Genetic Engineering and Society Laboratory, and General Genetics. In both laboratory classes, I teach molecular genetic foundations through protein expression in plants. I use an active teaching approach that prompts students to think through each concept to understand each process and apply this thinking through hands-on laboratory experience. I further adapted this semester-long laboratory course to run in a 1-week immersion course for online students, allowing them to get hands-on experience that they would not normally experience as online students. In lecture classes, I designed and presented short lectures to supplement those given by the instructor, held office hours every week to review content with students and assist with assignments, graded assignments, and exams, and assisted with course development. Laboratory classes typically have 8-16 students while lecture classes and recitation sections have anywhere from 40-400 students. I have been a teaching assistant for both online and in-person courses.I have been awarded the 2023 Graduate Teaching Excellence Award and was nominated for the 2024 SOLS Innovative Teaching Assistant Award for my teaching work.

As Director of Strategy for Nucleate Arizona, I lead event programming and coordination efforts aimed at educating students and equipping graduate students with the skills necessary to translate their research into real-world solutions. I spearhead initiatives like our Ideathon, providing a platform for students to practice and refine these skills in a hands-on environment.

I was elected as the Undergraduate Programs Committee Representative on the School of Life Science Executive Board. Here, I advocated for greater protection for undergraduate students in research to prevent undergraduate abuse in research settings through implementing mentor compacts and routine check-ins with the SOLS research coordinator. I also helped advocate for graduate student TA assignments and reviewed scholarship packets for SOLS undergraduate students.

In this position, I completed my undergraduate thesis with Dr. Hugh Mason focused on the development of an Influenza Recombinant Immune Complex Vaccine produced in Tobacco Plants using the M2e antigen. Here, I cloned a 4x subunit variant of the M2e antigen, combining human consensus, swine, and avian variants to enhance immunogenicity and strain coverage. This vaccine candidate was produced in Nicotiana benthamiana, and its potential as a universal IVA vaccine was validated through SDS-PAGE, Western blot assays, and complement activation analysis.As a SOLUR Fellow, I was awarded a stipend to enable my continued research.

Undergraduate laboratory prep and teaching assistant for Microbiology Lab, Molecular Genetics Lab, and Genetic Engineering and Society Lab. Here I helped prepare media and reagents for laboratory experiments and assisted students during class in learning and performing techniques.

In this position, I researched plant-produced monoclonal antibody therapeutics under Dr. Qiang Chen. Here I learned molecular genetics fundamentals and protein expression in plants. I cloned and produced Fc-mutant variants of Avelumab and Cetuximab, (anti-PD-L1 and EGFR antibodies) for potential enhancement. Additionally, I co-authored a review on the "Development of Antibody-Based Therapeutics Against West Nile Virus in Plants" based on our work in this lab.As a SOLUR Scholar, I was awarded a stipend to enable my continued research.

Provided high-quality customer service to more than 100 guests per day in a fast-paced environment while working with other team members to create an excellent experience and ensure return visits. Communicated effectively with guests to offer menu suggestions and promote daily specials, oftentimes resulting in an up-sale of menu items. Utilized resources to answer customer questions and field customer complaints.