Researcher | Research Overview
During my doctoral training, I have become fascinated by the heterogeneity within a brain injury. The overarching questions that now drive my research interests in the traumatic brain injury (TBI) field are: How do the mechanics of TBI influence the different outcomes of a brain injury? What are the mechanisms of glial response post-TBI? Significantly, how are these mechanisms disrupted or turned into pathological in neurodegeneration?
My thesis work involved a combination of biological and engineering solutions to the complex brain injury problem, allowing me to identify strategies and technologies to address and improve TBI outcomes. Therefore, for my postdoctoral work, I plan to develop a more holistic skillset as a scientist to answer the question of translational approaches for TBI.
Researcher | Research Background
Undergraduate Research: Worked at Dr. James P. Herman's laboratory on creating a novel animal model of stress by studying the physiological impact of loss. Furthermore, conducted a Scientific initiation trainee at Dr. Fernando Morgan's laboratory, involved in learning techniques for rodent handling and anesthesia, and sterile surgical procedures for stereotaxic implantation of intracerebral guide cannulas for injecting chemicals into Central Nervous System structures.
Research Assistant: Worked for Children’s Hospital affiliated with the University of Cincinnati at Dr. Nathan Evansons laboratory. Designed and conducted primary source research for a closed-head pediatric murine model of traumatic brain injury.
Graduate Research: Conducted doctoral degree at Dr. Pamela VandeVord's laboratory under the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health (TBMH) graduate program at Virginia Tech. Characterized and provided a comprehensive view of phenotypical and functional changes of astrocyte mitochondrial dynamics (fission and fusion) to understand its role in astrocyte reactivity post bTBI using in vitro and in vivo models. Furthermore, collaborated on a project to understand astrocytes’ response post-bTBI and unilateral controlled cortical impact (CCI) and its connection to post-traumatic epilepsy outcomes.