I am a Chemistry PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Dr. Katrina Forest's lab, where I study the structure and function of proteins central to bacterial motility and virulence.
Specifically, I am developing a high-throughput screen to identify possible inhibitors to a protein essential for two pathogenesis factors in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa: twitching motility and virulence factor secretion. The aim is to better understand integral membrane proteases and develop potential anti-virulence lead compounds.
I am also deeply interested in the question of how scientists can better engage with the public and policymakers and how they can play a role in redefining the Land Grant mission of our public universities in the 21st century.
Before starting my Ph.D., I obtained an M.Sc. in Science and Health Communication at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland as a 2019 Mitchell Scholar to better understand what drives political polarization around science. I chose to pursue my graduate education at UW–Madison specifically because opportunities to integrate public engagement and science advocacy into my graduate training made Madison the best place to continue growing as an engaged scientist.
Outside the lab, I am involved with Catalysts for Science Policy--the student group for graduate students and postdocs interested in science communication and science policy--and was a 2022 STEM Public Service Fellow through WiSCIENCE. As a Public Service Fellow, I worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources studying policy solutions to reducing food waste entering landfills and communication strategies to increase public and policymaker attention on the issue of food waste.
I aspire to work at the intersection of science and the land-grant mission at a public university, helping define the model of a socially engaged scientist. I plan to incorporate my interest in science advocacy by building a lab that supports and encourages students interested in community engagement, democratic participation, and government outreach. There is no doubt many institutions face public divestment and mistrust, and I want to be part of the effort to re-engage our public universities with the citizens they educate and serve through science outreach and service.
Specifically, I am developing a high-throughput screen to identify possible inhibitors to a protein essential for two pathogenesis factors in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa: twitching motility and virulence factor secretion. The aim is to better understand integral membrane proteases and develop potential anti-virulence lead compounds.
I am also deeply interested in the question of how scientists can better engage with the public and policymakers and how they can play a role in redefining the Land Grant mission of our public universities in the 21st century.
Before starting my Ph.D., I obtained an M.Sc. in Science and Health Communication at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland as a 2019 Mitchell Scholar to better understand what drives political polarization around science. I chose to pursue my graduate education at UW–Madison specifically because opportunities to integrate public engagement and science advocacy into my graduate training made Madison the best place to continue growing as an engaged scientist.
Outside the lab, I am involved with Catalysts for Science Policy--the student group for graduate students and postdocs interested in science communication and science policy--and was a 2022 STEM Public Service Fellow through WiSCIENCE. As a Public Service Fellow, I worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources studying policy solutions to reducing food waste entering landfills and communication strategies to increase public and policymaker attention on the issue of food waste.
I aspire to work at the intersection of science and the land-grant mission at a public university, helping define the model of a socially engaged scientist. I plan to incorporate my interest in science advocacy by building a lab that supports and encourages students interested in community engagement, democratic participation, and government outreach. There is no doubt many institutions face public divestment and mistrust, and I want to be part of the effort to re-engage our public universities with the citizens they educate and serve through science outreach and service.
