About

Personal

I’m originally from Wisconsin, where I did my undergrad at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, majoring in Evolutionary Biology, Zoology, and Anthropology, with a minor in Archaeology. I always thought I would end up studying early hominids, but seemingly by chance I stumbled my way into cell and molecular research.

I grew up hunting and fishing, and I have so many fond memories of exploring the driftless area when I was younger. That love of being outside has stuck with me. It’s part of how I think. Secretly I might be trying to center my whole life around my ability to go play outside- even as an adult.

I moved to Montana to complete my master’s degree at Montana State University, and quickly realized it felt like home. I spend as much time as possible in the mountains and on rivers, and I’m deeply grateful that my work and my life have intersected in a place that values both wild landscapes and scientific curiosity.

Soon, I’ll be heading to Idaho to begin medical school- excited to carry forward both the scientific side of my life and the human one.

Research

My research path has taken me through a wide variety of topics- from archaeology and ecology to neurodevelopment and stem cell biology!

I started in high school working with the Wisconsin DNR doing population surveys and live captures of porcupines at the Sandhill Wildlife Refuge. A few early mornings, careful measurements, and very cool animals.

In college, I continued that thread as an undergraduate researcher in the Brunet Lab in partnership with USDA-ARS, studying how pollinators influence gene flow in crop species like alfalfa. My heart goes out to seasonal researchers in undergrad because that is both a very cool time of life and a very tiring one.

Eventually, I found my way into biomedical research at the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research in the Cellular and Molecular Arrhythmia Research Program. I spent three years working with Ruben Alexanian, M.D., and Matt Wolff, M.D., on two major projects: one focused on differentiating iPSCs into valve interstitial cells using porcine valve-derived media, and the other modeling LMNA-associated dilated cardiomyopathy using a patient-derived stem cell line alongside novel peptide development.

That period shaped me deeply. I learned a full suite of molecular and cellular techniques, presented posters and talks, helped to write grants, and began thinking seriously about translational science.

After graduating, I began working with Dr. Chris Organ Ph.D. in the Deep Time Biology Lab working on a comparative vertebrate innervation project. It was kind of a return to my undergraduate interests, as I was now surrounded by paleontology people- all of whom are tremendous. I even got my own office here haha.

I later completed a master’s degree focused on RNA sequencing in a developmental toxicology context. In the Merzdorf Lab at Montana State, I studied how pharmaceutical exposures — including fentanyl, oxycodone, and citalopram — alter the transcriptome during early development in zebrafish embryos, collaborating closely with Dr. Brian Bothner, Ph.D., and Dr. Mensur Dlakic, Ph.D.

Across it all, I have always been interested in cellular and molecular mechanisms, the human condition, and the deep fascinating stories that science can tell us.

Professional development

Coming Soon