As a first-generation college student studying biomedical engineering at Boston University, I had very little knowledge of the world of scientific research. Thankfully, I found my first scientific mentor who saw my enthusiasm for science and encouraged me to pass up an office job at the BU Nanotechnology Innovation Center to instead pursue an undergraduate research position in an affiliated lab. The time that I spent developing point-of-care diagnostics in that lab was very exciting and impactful, but beyond that, I loved the creativity that research provided and was inspired by the community of scientists that I met while attending a conference in my field. This early research experience led me to pursue my PhD at Yale – this time designing and utilizing engineering tools to perform fundamental research in systems biology.
During my PhD, I continued to enjoy the lab environment, but I found myself even more drawn to the classroom where I could share my love of biology with the next generation of scientists. As a preceptor for LS1a, I am excited to provide Harvard students with an integrated introduction to the life sciences that will prepare them to perform their own interdisciplinary scientific research, if they so choose, and will set them up for success in a variety of career paths.
Outside of the classroom, my hobbies include hiking, sewing, cooking, and learning to play new musical instruments – the most recent being steelpan and ukulele.