Summer Research Internship under advisor Graham R. Fleming, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, funded in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and University of California, Berkeley.Studied the interdisciplinary field of photosynthesis, with a focus on non-photochemical quenching mechanisms in higher plants.Used Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting laser techniques to measure quenching activity of tobacco leaves under various light sequences and intensities.Measured and fitted NPQ data for various mutant genomic sequences of tobacco plant.Built 4 kinetic models in MATLAB to capture the activity of carotenoid reaction systems for 3 mutant strains under irregular light-dark sequences, and predict NPQ activity under light-dark exposure sequences.Performed HPLC on tobacco mutants and used pigment data to refine model fittings.Presented work in group meetings.

Research under advisor Prof. Irene A. Chen (MD, PhD) and Alberto Vazquez-Salazar (PhD). Characterizing ribozyme activity and robustness under prebiotic conditions in the context of the origins of life. Techniques include in vitro selection, RNA synthesis, qPCR, and EMSA, as well as mathematical modeling.

Funded internship under mentorship of Professor Lindsey Schier Ph.D. at the University of Southern California in participation with BUGS Research Program funded by the Bridge to Undergraduate Science program. Project was developed around the enzyme glucokinase (GCK) and the TRPM5 taste reception channel downstream, and their respective roles in affecting sweet taste reception and transduction in mice, as well as the effect of GCK expression on the presence of TRPM5 in taste bud cells. I harvested salivary glands and taste bud tissue from experimental (GCK knockdown) and control mice, then performed side-by-side immunofluorescence assays to stain the cells. We then qualitatively and quantitatively compared the expression of Type II and Type III taste cells in the two groups of mice to observe any changes in TRPM5 receptor expression or the related PGP9.5 receptor caused by a GCK knockdown.In this laboratory, I learned many fundamental laboratory skills, as well as handling tissue samples and imaging slides, and organizing and analyzing data. As a member of the laboratory team, I also aided other members with data organization and analysis relevant to their projects and provided feedback on projects/presentations.

Club President of West Ranch Key Club in the Key Club International organization. In this critical role, I served as the face of our club for all club service projects and social events, division council meetings, and district wide meetings. I facilitated all club service projects, delegated tasks and club administrative duties to our officer board, and led the formation of interclub projects within our division. I led the connection between our club and other clubs on campus, as well as outside volunteer organizations. As president, I also created two new officer positions to replace outdated roles, transitioning our club to a new phase of development.Additionally, I served our club and the greater Los Angeles community for 325+ service hours over my lifetime in Key Club International.

As Division 16 North's Spirit Coordinator, I planned and facilitated division-wide social events and fostered team spirit and camaraderie across the 2021-2022 term. I was responsible for planning, advertising, and leading spirit sessions in the fundraising campaign up to Fall Rally organized by CNH Key Club, and helped fundraise over $1,000 for the Pediatric Trauma Program. I also mentored members of the Spirit Committee as well as general members of D16N during the term.

Appointed to California-Nevada-Hawaii District Technology Team. On this team, I utilized computer programming and design skills to create website manuals and design a new website for the CNH Key Club district in order to increase the organization and accessibility of the website as a point of communication between members across the district.

GSTEM 2021 - Student Research Assistant working with NYU and Columbia University under advising of Professor Kyle Bishop Ph.D. and Ph.D. Candidate Nisha Modi to engineer active enzyme-driven coacervate droplets capable of forming and dissolving based on environmental conditions and activity within the droplet. I developed simulations and computer models using the JupyterLab software and the Python programming language to predict the activity of these enzyme-driven coacervates based on concentrations of relevant materials and environmental pH conditions, using chemical kinetic principles.I learned to program computer models using JupyterLab and Python and developed writing, presenting, and analysis skills necessary to succeed in a research lab. I wrote a formal research paper and gave an oral presentation at the GSTEM Symposium.As part of the GSTEM program led by New York University, I took the Intro to Data Science course and learned the fundamentals of using JupyterLab and Python in coordination to program computer models and build analytical tools for scientific purposes.This educational opportunity was funded by the Winston Data Scholarship ($3,250, full tuition), and as a recipient I participated in an additional computer modeling project and write-up.