I am a PhD student in the Molecular Genetics and Microbiology (MGM) department interested in how gut bacteria interact with each other and their host. In the David Lab , I study how bacteria metabolize dietary fiber and how altering the gut microbiome can effect physiological and psychological changes in humans.

Before coming to Duke, I received my bachelor’s degree in Biology & Biotechnology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts. My undergraduate thesis (or MQP , in WPI-speak) in the Rao Lab focused on interactions between Candida albicans and host macrophages.

When I’m not doing science, some things I like to do in my free time include hiking, cooking, baking (mainly bread), and writing.