I grew up in a small city outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, where in high school I had passionate teachers that taught me how to think strategically to solve scientific problems. However, there were not a lot of opportunities in this area, so I decided to move up north to attend the University of Minnesota. Here, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, and got more interested in scientific research. Midway through my undergraduate studies, I joined Reuben Harris’s lab, which studies a group of human DNA-mutating enzymes called APOBECs. After graduating in 2019, I continued working as a lab technician for eight months, and the science began to take off. This was really exciting, and I loved the science so much that I decided to join the Harris lab as a PhD student to fully utilize a novel mouse model that I had helped develop.
At least two APOBEC enzymes have been implicated in cancer via the signature mutations that they inflict in tumor genomes. However, until recently, no murine models recapitulated the DNA-mutating activity of these enzymes. To address this gap in knowledge and develop appropriate murine models, we have created animals that inducibly express these human enzymes. The next steps in my PhD studies are to analyze the phenotypes of these animals and identify modulatory factors using molecular, genomic, and pathological approaches.
In addition to lab experiments, I am also passionate about science communication and sharing the marvels of science with others, including undergraduates, school children, and those outside of academia. Representative activities include middle school outreach and being a focus scientist for incoming college freshman students. While these are very different demographics, in both situations I am teaching younger students about how fascinating science can be, and the benefits of being a scientist.
