Dani is a graduate student in the Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology (MICaB) program, in the lab of Jannell Bazurto. Prior to graduate school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Augsburg University with a B.S in biology and minor in Mathematics. Dani is a proud first-generation Latina with research experiences in both cancer biology and microbiology. Her undergraduate research with Jennifer Bankers-Fulbright focused on how normal and cystic fibrosis-like secretions affected P. aeruginosa growth and biofilm formation. Afterwards, she worked as a post-baccalaureate researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Lewis Robert’s lab and studied the effects of anticancer drugs in cholangiocarcinoma cell lines. In the Bazurto lab, Dani aims to determine the mechanism of the formaldehyde sensor, EfgA, and how EfgA is connected to other genetic players involved in the overall formaldehyde sensing network in M. extorquens. Outside of the lab, Dani enjoys exploring the food scene in the Twin Cities, collecting funko pops, and spending time with her family.
