Postdoctoral Research Associate, Duke University
Ph.D. in Quantitative & Computational Biology, Princeton University
Learn more about my work at the interface of genomics, machine learning, molecular biology, and data science.
I have both a computational and wet lab biology background, with Bachelor's degrees in Biology and Computer Science from the University of Richmond and a Ph.D. in Quantitative and Computational Biology from Princeton University. I'm primarily intrigued by problems in systems biology and genomics - particularly in the context of human disease - and recieved a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP) to study the transcriptional effects of somatic variation using machine learning for my Ph.D. thesis under Dr. Mona Singh. Currently, I am a postdoctoral research associate at Duke University developing computational methods that harness CRISPR perturbation data to understand the genetics and epigenetics of cellular state changes. I am jointly mentored by Drs. Gregory Crawford, Charles Gersbach, and Rohit Singh of Duke University and Raluca Gordan of UMass Chan Medical School. Outside the lab, I am an avid outdoor explorer, traveler, baker, cat lover, and amateur fine artist.
My published work, with additional publications from my doctoral thesis in preparation for submission
in 2025.
Puts forth a machine learning method, Dyscovr, that leverages mutation, gene expression, copy number alteration (CNA), methylation, and clinical data to uncover putative relationships between nonsynonymous mutations in key cancer driver genes and transcriptional changes across the genome. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.20.624509
Present an agent-based model (ABM) that simulates competition of multiple symbiont species, each with varying strategies, within a host. This model provides insight on strategies that lead to exclusion and/or co-occupancy, as well as the important role of host-symbiont specificity. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1221012
Discovered genetic pathways involved in establishment of durable intracellular endosymbioses in a freshwater sponge:algal symbiont model system, specifically as compared to pathways involved in recognizing potential prey. https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evab252
Use a combination of confocal microscopy, RNA-sequencing and bioinformatic techniques to explore conserved evolutionary pathways that may lead to stable mutualistic endosymbioses, using freshwater sponges and their intraceullar resident algae as a model system. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10654
Present the assembled E. muelleri genome, a freshwater sponge in the Porifera family and a key resource in understanding the evoluation of animal-specific traits like the nervous system. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17397-w<
I have experience creating course materials, designing and implementing interactive lectures, and mentoring undergraduates and graduate students on research projects. I am also involved in scientific outreach efforts, both to support the next generation of scientists and to engage with the public about exciting science.
I've spent time in 44 US states, 3 Canadian providences, and 14 countries across 3 continents - I'd love to talk travel! Wherever I go, I'm most excited about tasting the food, meeting the locals, and getting into the national parks and wildlife areas. My husband, Connor, is my travel buddy and my biggest supporter (and is featured in many of my photos!). We dote on our two cats, Marvin and Trillian - named after Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Outside of to travel and food, I play recreational softball, paint and draw, run races, and hang out with my friends and lab-mates.
I look forward to hearing from you!
