As a graduate student in Dr. Jeffrey Dvorin’s lab at Harvard, Rebecca aimed to investigate the unusual cell biology of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria. Rebecca discovered and characterized a protein that orchestrates cytoskeletal remodeling and is required for survival during gametocyte maturation. Her thesis work revealed non-canonical eukaryotic cell biology and shed light on molecular targets for the development of antimalarial drugs.

Her graduate work with P. falciparum parasites – which replicate inside of human red blood cells – sparked her interest in host-pathogen interactions in this unique cellular niche. She became fascinated with the interplay between erythroid biology, infection, and immunity, which motivated her to pursue postdoctoral training in Dr. Kellie Jurado’s lab at the University of Pennsylvania. Her postdoctoral research shed light on erythroid progenitors as unexpected orchestrators of fetal immune activity and revealed novel aspects of red blood cell biology.

In her spare time, Rebecca is an aerial dancer. She performs on a variety of circus apparatuses, but her favorite is silks. She has three adorable cats, Parker, Patches, and Beans.