Research Interests
My dissertation research focuses on modeling staphylococcal bacterial infections that occur at the vascular interface, which happens in the body during intravenous catheter infections, infective endocarditis, and bloodstream infections, among others. Staphylococcal bacteria involved in these infections form protective structures called biofilms, which allow bacteria to survive hostile environments and be tolerant to antibiotic treatment. I develop physiologically relevant models of biofilms at the vascular interface under static and dynamic conditions and characterize cellular behaviors at the bacteria-host interface to inform our understanding of biofilm development and vascular damage due to infection. My work bridges the gap between in vitro and in vivo biofilm models through incorporation of the host interface and drives models closer to the outcomes observed clinically. Fundamental knowledge of infection dynamics at the vascular interface and development of high-throughput platforms to assess novel antimicrobials is crucial to advancement in the field of bacterial infections. In the future, these models could be utilized to evaluate treatment efficacy of therapeutic candidates and determine which candidates should progress to the next stage of testing. They also have the potential to advance personalized medicine by predicting the best course of treatment for a specific infected individual.
Leadership and Science Communication in Engineering
Outside of my research, I am an accomplished communicator and passionate about scientific communication to technical and general audiences. This is demonstrated by an invited conference podium talk, a first-place presentation award, and my involvement in developing and running STEM education outreach activities for local K-12 students that are both approachable and engaging. Additionally, I have leveraged my communication skills to excel in the leadership positions I have held in during my Ph.D. as outreach coordinator and public relations officer for our Chemical Engineering Graduate Organization and as co-founder and co-chair of the Graduate Research Organization for Womxn (GROW) at my institution. As co-chair of GROW I co-authored grants that resulted in awards totaling over $11,000 for our organization to support professional development workshops, networking events, and mentorship programing to assist graduate students in successfully navigating graduate school and future careers. I continually seek out opportunities to help encourage and develop younger scientists, highlighted by the 10+ undergraduate students I have mentored during my Ph.D. I have found it very rewarding to help students develop the skills and confidence needed to conduct independent research and feel this is not only a way to give back to the field, but also ensures I am constantly learning and improving as a researcher as well. I look forward to continuing to work in collaborative, interdisciplinary, and communication-intensive environments post-graduation.