Advisor: Professor Jing Yang, Department of Pharmacology and Pediatrics Project: EPHA2 signaling in matrix stiffness-regulated breast cancer metastasis.• Routinely synthesized 3D polyacrylamide gels to use as in-vitro models of stiffness-induced epithelial-to- mesenchymal transition in breast cancer.• Researched the role of the tyrosine kinase EPHA2 in mammary epithelial cells by knocking down via shRNA and performing rescue experiments using various EPHA2 mutants.• Performed 3D cell-based inhibitor assays to determine relationship between EPHA2 and proteins of interest.• Fine-tuned a biocompatible and tunable 3D culture system composed of gelatin methacrylate hydrogels and utilized it to visualize a split-GFP Twist1 knock-in cell line to study cancer mechanotransduction.• Provided laboratory training to new members of the lab.

Advisor: Professor Bryan Dickinson, Department of ChemistryProject: DHHC inhibitor design and synthesis, developing cell-based assays for studying S-palmitoylation.• Designed synthetic routes and carried out organic synthesis of small molecule inhibitors for palmitoyl acyltransferases using a Schlenk line.• Utilized TLC to determine conditions for purifying compounds, purified products using manual and automated column chromatography.• Visualized via fluorescent confocal microscopy phenotypic changes of DHHC20 in HeLa cells after treatment with DHHC inhibitors.• Performed cell-based assays such as acyl biotin exchange to study palmitoylated proteins and measure effectiveness of S-palmitoylation inhibition, used Western blot to visualize.• Successfully synthesized and purified two molecules that inhibited the DHHC20 enzyme at 200uM.

Utilized dynamic light scattering techniques to probe size distribution and charge of silica and bare HPHT nanodiamonds. Performed laboratory-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to investigate composition of HPHT nanodiamonds. Stained mammalian cells with fluorescent HPHT nanodiamonds and observed their behavior and uptake through confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Performed x-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy on beam lines 8-2 and 10-1 to probe elemental composition of various functionalized nanodiamond samples. Prepared atmosphere-sensitive samples in glovebox. Completed General Employee Radiation Training (GERT) prior to beginning work on beam lines.

Advisor: Professor Abraham Wolcott, Department of ChemistryProject: Ultrathin Growth of SiO2 Shells on Fluorescent High-Temperature High-Pressure Nanodiamonds.• Synthesized 1-20 nm-thick SiO2 shells on high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) for targeted labeling of cancer cell lines.• Functionalized FNDs with amines, sulfyl-hydro and PEG moieties to provide additional stability and bioconjugation to particles• Performed FTIR to confirm presence of silica and other functional groups, and dynamic light scattering to probe size distribution and charge of silica-coated and bare HPHT FNDs.• Travelled monthly to SLAC Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource and The Molecular Foundry at Berkeley National Lab to perform XES and XPS to probe elemental composition of various functionalized nanodiamond samples.

Advisor: Professor Bogdan Dragnea, Department of ChemistryProject: Spectral and Time-domain Characterization of Ultrafast Laser Pulses for the Study of Superradiance in Virus-like Particles• Designed and constructed a laser setup for the characterization and optimization of an ultrafast 800 nm Ti- Sapphire laser for future use in pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy measurements of fluorescent virus-like particles.• Built an optical autocorrelation system to measure the pulse duration, and used spectrometer to obtain spectral bandwidth.• Aligned and maintained optical systems, and acquired pulse and spectral information through an oscilloscope.