I was admitted into SPU as a running start transfer student directly out of high school. I began my journey at SPU with the intention of pursuing a career in dentistry, however as I worked my way through my chemistry and biology classes, I soon realized I had a true passion for working in the lab. This caused me to shift my focus away from dentistry and towards research. The summer after my Junior year, I participated in the summer research internship program at Benaroya Research Institute, where I gained valuable immunobiology research experience and lab skills. Eager to gain additional research experience, I also contributed to a research project focused on optimizing the CRISPR/Cas9 system in Agrobacterium under the guidance of Dr. Wood, and I presented this data at the Erickson Conference with my research group. After 3 years at SPU, I graduated Magna Cum Laude in Spring 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a minor in Biology. Following graduation, I landed a job as a Research Associate at Sana Biotechnology, a small biotech startup focused on reprogramming cells to replace damaged cells and tissues to treat a broad array of human diseases. At Sana, I have worked on both the gene therapy and cell therapy platforms, focusing on lentiviral vector production and stem cell differentiation.
You can get ahold of me any day between 9am and 5pm to setup a meeting time with me.