I am a former high school science teacher (General Science, Biology and Chemistry) and taught for approximately 12 years in the Greece Central School District. I twice received the NIEHS Summer Research Experience Grant for Teachers in 2011 and 2012, which sparked a renewed passion for developing my scientific skills and knowledge. In 2018, I graduated from the University of Rochester with my Doctorate in Molecular Toxicology. Shortly thereafter, I joined the SRI Biosciences team as a Research Scientist and Prinicipal Investigator as a part of the Radiation Countermeasures team. Since joining SRI, I have contributed to or directed >35 studies to develop animal models or to test candidate medical countermeasures for radiation protection under NIAID. My latest activities include MR imaging of small animals, respiratory safety assessment by whole body plethysmography, pharmacokinetics studies, and long term studies of delayed radiation pathology.