Teaching Goal Statement

As I continue to evolve as an educator, my future teaching goals are grounded in my interdisciplinary research interests at the intersection of neuroscience, cancer biology, and public health. Specifically, I aim to create educational experiences that bridge the molecular neuroscience of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the pathophysiology of glioblastoma, and the broader framework of social determinants of health. My goal is to develop curriculum and learning environments that not only train students in the molecular and cellular foundations of brain pathology but also contextualize this knowledge within the structural inequities that shape health outcomes.

In the near term, I plan to design and implement an upper-division undergraduate or graduate-level course titled "Neurobiology, Disease, and Disparity: Integrative Approaches to Brain Health." This course will introduce students to the physiological and pathological functions of the BBB, explore the role of astrocytes and endothelial dysfunction in glioblastoma, and examine how environmental and social factors such as pollution, access to care, and systemic racism exacerbate neurological disease burdens. The course will combine foundational neuroscience content with current literature, case-based learning, and public health data analysis. This interdisciplinary framework will allow students to see connections between cellular mechanisms and population-level health disparities.

Another future teaching objective is to establish course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) that engage students in experimental approaches to BBB modeling, neuroinflammation, and cancer biology. These research-integrated lab modules will expose students—particularly those from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds—to emerging methods in translational neuroscience, including stem cell-based models, biomarker analysis, and computational imaging. Students will be encouraged to connect laboratory findings with real-world implications, such as disparities in glioblastoma survival rates across socioeconomic and racial groups.

Finally, I am committed to mentoring students through community-based projects that integrate neuroscience education with public health advocacy. For example, students could collaborate with local health organizations to develop educational materials on neurological disease prevention or map community-level exposures to neurotoxic pollutants known to impact BBB function and increase glioma risk. By engaging with both cellular science and social context, students will be better prepared to pursue careers as physicians, scientists, public health leaders, and advocates for health equity.

In all of these goals, my overarching aim is to empower students to think critically across disciplines, communicate effectively about science and health, and approach complex biological problems through the lens of both innovation and justice.