Graduate Student, Quantitative & Systems Biology, School of Natural Sciences
Advisors: Prof. Clarissa Nobile, Prof. Chris Amemiya
My academic background is in microbiology, and my research interests are in infectious disease, host-pathogen interactions, and immunity.
My current research focuses on Candida albicans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen that colonizes mucosal surfaces and can cause disease when host defenses are disrupted. I study how host mucins influence fungal virulence traits such as adhesion, filamentation, and biofilm formation. I am also interested in evolutionary immunology and use lamprey as a model to explore immune responses relevant to fungal exposure. Broadly, my work aims to better understand mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis and host defense that may inform future approaches to preventing and treating infection.
