Education

University of Vermont, Burlington, VT — Ph.D. - Current

Principal Investigator: Amber Doiron, M.S., Ph.D.

Thesis: Advancements in inflammation imaging: Development of an oxidative stress-activated MR contrast agent

Mentorship experience: Mentored four undergraduate students in nanoparticle synthesis techniques, analytical instrumentation, academic writing, experimental design. Ian Stender, Jess Lukac, Jillian Griffith, Stephanie Yarnall.

University of Vermont, Burlington, VT - B.S.

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Minor: Chemistry 

Experience

Research Assistant University of Vermont (2022- Present)

Scientific Leadership & Program Strategy

• ·   Led end-to-end development of a first-in-class ROS-responsive nanoparticle for inflammation-targeted MRI and corticosteroid drug delivery, with applications in immune-mediated disease.

• ·       Defined formulation screening strategy and down-selected 20+ nanoparticle candidates to 2 lead translational systems based on drug loading and release efficiency, and biologic response.

• ·       Directed cross-disciplinary collaborations with 3+ laboratories spanning immunology, imaging, chemistry, and materials science.

• ·       Generated critical nanoparticle characterization data that enabled revision and acceptance of an external ACS Nano manuscript.

• ·       Advised PI on hiring 12+ undergraduates and 3+ graduates through technical vetting, and mentored 5 undergraduates over 4 years.

• ·       Contributed to 5 peer-reviewed manuscripts (3 first-author, 1 to be submitted) and delivered 5 national conference presentations (BMES, SFB, ACS, MIT Polymer Day, VCCBH).

• ·   Supported and co-authored successful fellowship and grant applications, including a $35,000 NASA Graduate Fellowship.

Experimental Execution, Quantitative Analysis & Translation, and Skills

• ·       Built synthesis and conjugation workflows for PEG-coated nanoparticles and polymer–drug conjugates, supporting ROS-triggered activation and controlled steroid release.

• ·       Deployed physicochemical screening pipelines (DLS, zeta potential, UV–Vis, FTIR, LC–MS, ELISA, NMR) to drive go/no-go decisions on formulation success, activation efficiency, and therapeutic response across 30+ formulation iterations.

• ·   Quantified drug release kinetics, ROS-triggered activation, and MRI contrast performance using kinetic modeling, FRET-based assays, and imaging validation to inform iterative redesign.

• ·   Executed cell-based inflammatory response studies (RAW264.7, THP-1) including cytotoxicity, cytokine qPCR, and ROS activation assays to assess biological function.

• ·   Performed in vivo mouse clearance studies, including injection, organ harvest, and histological staining, informing physiologic clearance behavior for grant applications.

• ·       Integrated synthesis, imaging, and biological datasets to communicate feasibility, risk, and development priorities to PI and collaborators, guiding platform decision-making.

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Research Assistant Illinois Institute of Technology (2021-2022)

• Worked on an anti-VEGF ocular drug delivery system for sustained release