Research

I am currently a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Pittsburgh. I work in the Immunology Department with Dr. Jishnu Das, in his computational lab. Utilizing advanced machine learning and network system analyses, my research focuses on discovering common signatures of fibrosis across tissues and investigating latent factors that underly immune system variability related to the COVID-19 vaccine in individuals with HIV.

For my Doctorate in Philosophy, I attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. I worked in the Biological Sciences Department with Dr. Aryn Gittis, in her neuroscience lab. The Gittis Lab studies motor circuitry of the brain and its dysregulation in Parkinson's. With this knowledge, I studied motor circuits necessary for motor rescue in a Parkinsonian mouse model, in hopes of better optimizing current treatment in humans. 

For my Master's in Science, I attended Villanova University in Villanova, PA. I worked in the Chemistry Department with Dr. Dan Kraut, in his biochemistry lab. The Kraut Lab studies how Ubiquitin receptors mediate Proteasomal processivity. I spent my time performing biochemical assays studying the importance of different Proteasome rpn proteins and their respective roles in degrading ubiquitin-tagged proteins. The proteasome malfunctions in Alzheimer's disease. Understanding its proper function allows the field to optimize treatment designs. 

For my Bachelor's in Science, I attended Centre College in Danville, KY. I was a member of the Biology Department but I worked with Dr. Kerry Pickin Paumi, in her organic chemistry lab. The Paumi Lab studies the organic synthesis of peptide-linked metal chelators and their biochemical functionality towards the disruption of amyloid-beta aggregation. I spent most of my time performing organic synthesis of several candidate compounds. This study hoped to aid in Alzheimer's treatment design.