I manage 3-5 concurrent research projects at all stages with interdisciplinary and geographically disperse stakeholders, apply for funding (from initiation to submission), write publications, and generate reproducible data analyses. I design experiments, prepare samples, optimize instrument and sample preparation methods, run Thermo LC-MS systems (Orbitrap Fusion Lumos, Exploris 480, Astral, QEHF, Easy-nLC, Neo Vanquish), evaluate data quality, analyze results, and communicate results in written and oral presentations to internal and external teams. I planned, wrote, and submitted funding applications to the NIH and four private foundations and was awarded a three-year postdoctoral NIH/NIA T32 training grant to fund my research.

I completed my doctoral dissertation in 2021 which spanned vision science, geroscience, and mass spectrometry. My work focused on healthy and aging metabolism and mitochondria in the eye.My role required independent research and significant interdisciplinary collaboration. I led a published (IOVS 2021) comprehensive gerontological study of aging metabolism in murine retina in collaboration with leaders in the biology of aging.I contributed to collaborative projects which furthered our understanding of metabolism in the young, healthy eye (eLife 2017, Cell Death & Disease 2018, PNAS 2020), and how mitochondrial DNA changes with aging (Nucleic Acids Research 2021, eLife 2023).This work resulted in one first-author and five collaborative publications were produced. Additionally, I was awarded fellowships to fund my research from the NIH T32 Biological Mechanisms of Healthy Aging Training Grant (2020-2021), the NIH T32 Genetic Approaches to Aging Training Grant (2017-2020), and the Benjamin J. Schultz Travel Fellowship.

My role focused on utilizing mass spectrometry proteomics to further understanding of human diseases including cancer and neurodegeneration. I optimized proteomics sample preparation methods, prepared samples for LC-MS, analyzed data, and presented the results of internal research, collaborative projects and fee for service projects orally and in writing. I also managed laboratory space, handled stocking consumables in concert with the purchasing department, and coordinated equipment maintenance with vendors. I worked on numerous collaborative projects, including two that were published. which focused on breast cancer biomarker identification in patient serum (2020) and protein complex characterization in ALS (2016).

I remained at TGen following completion of my summer internship. During the academic year internship, I improved existing sample preparation methodologies including phosphopeptide enrichment and wrote standard operating procedures for the group. I also maintained tissue culture lines for use as internal quality control standards.

The Helios Scholars at TGen is an 8 week paid summer internship program in biomedical research for undergraduates. My work at the Center for Proteomics at TGen was primarily focused on the study of the proteome and phosphoproteome of adrenocortical carcinoma.

Synthesized a series of cyclic compounds with the intent to screen the final antimetabolite product for efficacy against cancer cell lines. Gained experience with techniques in organic synthesis, compound extraction, and interpretation of proton and carbon NMR, IR and mass spectra of organic molecules.