Born in Pasadena, California and raised in Austin, Texas. I graduated summa cum laude with my bachelor in science in chemistry in 2012 from the University of Texas at Austin.
Before enrolling at EPFL in 2021, I worked in a variety of fields:

In each of these experiences, I learned that I am interested in understanding how systems work, solving problems without easy solutions, mentoring younger scientists, and working with teams of people from diverse backgrounds. However, I missed being in the center of solving scientific challenges myself. In 2020, while continuing to direct a growing science entrepreneurship program I audited biology courses at the University of Texas and volunteered to research (computational chemistry) with the University of Tennessee.
Now in LCBC at EPFL, I blend my interests to research in computational biochemistry, TA bachelor and masters students, and collaborate with an international team. I also had the excellent opportunity to co-found the EPFL association Science Policy Action Network (SPAN) in the 2024-2025 academic year and remain involved in the association as it continues to grow. 

Metabolites of estrogen can form both depurinating and stable DNA adducts. Furthermore, synthetic progestins and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as BPA, can also form DNA adducts. A hybrid mixed quantum mechanical-molecular mechanical (QM/MM) approach with thermodynamic integration method for enhanced sampling is utilized to study the formation of the DNA adducts and their relative stability.

In order to evaluate the viability of a charge transfer damage recognition mechanism, changes in redox potential within chromatin structures for oxidative lesions in DNA are measured. A hybrid mixed quantum mechanical-molecular mechanical (QM/MM) approach allows for the efficient analysis of atomic position and momentum data of these large biological systems.