Previous Work
My previous research has encompassed ecology, genetics, development, and molecular biology. I’ve done field work in multiple countries and any chance to scuba dive for work is a bonus!
PhD in Biology, Texas A&M University
For my PhD, I worked in the Riley lab where we focused on development of the inner ear in zebrafish. I worked on how the signals from three important signaling pathways—Fgf, Wnt, and Hh—coordinate to form the different sensory portions of the ear responsible for hearing and proprioception.
My masters was completed in the Nestler lab at Walla Walla University. I worked with a sea cucumber, Parastichopus californicus, that regrows its internal organs on a yearly cycle. Because this is an unusual process, even in highly regeneratively capable echinoderms, I studied the expression of two genes during this process.
Masters in Biology, Walla Walla University
My undergraduate research and internships
As an undergraduate at Walla Walla University, I helped with research in the Nestler lab. Part of this work was done in the Philippines where we studied how sea cucumbers help coral reef environments.
I also interned with two international research organizations. With ProTECTOR, I helped study nesting Hawksbill sea turtles in the Bay Islands of Honduras. In South Africa, I worked at OCEANS Research, assisting with work on local sharks and whales.
