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About meI'm currently an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in the Edger Lab at Michigan State University. My work is focused on understanding the role of environment in the establishment and maintenance of subgenome dominance in the aviation biofuel crop, Camelina sativa.
I received my PhD from Washington University in St. Louis in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS). Here I conducted research in the Olsen Lab, investigating various facets of Camelina evolution. My last rotation was in the Kutchan lab, investigating lipid and terpene production in transgenic lines of Camelina sativa. My second rotation was in the Kellogg lab, analyzing meristem differentiation and development in Poaceae. My first rotation was in the Olsen Lab, looking at population structure and oil profiles within Camelina. I received my B.S. in Plant Sciences from the University of Arizona where I worked in the Beilstein Lab. I studied the evolutionary history and phylogenetics of Camelina, made possible by several field collection trips to the Irano-Turanian region, Eastern Europe, and the United States. I have a broad range of skill sets and interests including biochemistry, genomics, systematics and evolution. I'm especially fascinated by plant evolution in the context of crop domestication because it allows me to bridge all of my interests. My aim is to glean insight to how plants are able to withstand extreme genome instability (polyploidy) but moreover how to deal with polyploid data in the high-throughput sequencing era. |
Supporting me |
Michigan State University (2021-present)
NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (2021) Washington University (2015-2021) USDA-ARS NPGS Plant Exploration Grant (2020) Danforth Endowment Seed Grant (2019 and 2020) National Geographic Young Explorer's Grant (YEG) (2017) William H. Danforth Fellowship in Plant Sciences (2016) International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability grant (I-CARES) University of Arizona (2012-2015) Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) Biomedical Research Abroad: Vistas Open! (BRAVO!) |
Awards |
James I. and Cora Swift Miller Scholarship (2018)
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship - Honorable Mention (2016 and 2017) Organization for Tropical Studies tuition scholarship (2016) Outstanding Senior in the School of Plant Sciences (2014) Arthur J. and Mary Faul scholarship (2014) CALS general scholarship (2013, 2014) Muramoto family scholarship (2013, 2014) |
Leadership & Outreach |
Director of Finance Young Scientist Program (YSP) (2017-2019)
Graduate Council representative on behalf of DBBS (2017-2018) Graduate Student Senate (GSS) representative (2016-2017) Student Advisory Committee (SAC) representative (2015-2018) |
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