My journey began during my undergraduate studies in anesthesia, where I worked in different hospital wards and surgery rooms and gained knowledge in pathophysiology and pharmacology. This academic groundwork served as the foundation for my continued exploration in the field of different diseases, especially microbial infections.
During my master's program in Microbial biotechnology, I undertook a research project focused on understanding the antimicrobial effects of a natural nanoplatform for drug delivery, combating bacterial infections, and its potential impact in clinical settings.
Building upon these experiences, I decided to join the lab of Prof. Nobile at University of California, Merced, to start my Ph.D.
Currently I am working on C. albicans infections that pose their greatest threat to individuals with compromised immune systems. Notably, the predominant source of infections attributable to C. albicans is postulated to be biofilm formation, a structured community of microbial cells that allows it to resist antifungal drugs, immune attacks, and other mechanical stresses. While little is understood about biofilm formation and how to combat it, my research utilized genetically engineered strains of C. albicans to demonstrate that its biofilm dispersion can be regulated by manipulating levels of expression of these key genes and to find potential therapeutic targets.
