Bio

I graduated from Smith College in 2021, and spent my undergraduate time developing diagnostic assays for parasitic worms in pinnipeds and studying the transcriptomes of single-celled commensal eukaryotes. Throughout that time, I developed an interest in wildlife pathology. After graduation, I worked on all manner of projects as a sequencing specialist in the Center for Host + Microbe interactions here at Penn Vet.

Now, as a PhD student in the Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology program at UPenn, I am interested in the ecology and evolution of zoonotic diseases, especially as they appear in wildlife. I am working on determining how the ecology of wild bird species influences the transmission dynamics and geographic distribution of avian influenza.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy watching a good murder mystery TV show and walking (occasionally running) by the Schuylkill River. I am also fond of any activity that brings me close to water (i.e. going to the aquarium, sailing, swimming at the beach).