I am currently a graduate student in Molecular and Developmental Biology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. I currently work in the lab of Dr. Samantha Brugmann in the Division of Developmental Biology studying the role of primary cilia in lower jaw musculoskeletal development using avian and murine embryo models. In September 2024, I will be starting as a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Dr. Katherine Fantauzzo in the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
I am originally from the small town of Norlina in rural Warren County, North Carolina. I knew that I wanted to be a scientist the first time I met a Black scientist in middle school at a STEM summer program. That same scientist first introduced me to biomedical research while I was a senior at the NC School of Science and Mathematics and I have been at it ever since. Because of her influence, I want to become a professor to educate and inspire the next generation of scientists, particularly those from historically minoritized and marginalized populations in STEM.
I earned my B.S. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from NC State University in May 2018. While at NC State, I was a Park Scholar, a leader in multiple student organizations, an introductory biology teaching assistant, and a Society for Developmental Biology "Choose Development!" undergraduate research fellow in the lab of Dr. Nanette Nascone-Yoder. I also completed an undergraduate research experience in the lab of Dr. Pamela Yelick through the Tufts University Building Diversity in the Biomedical Sciences program.
My work and accomplishments have been highlighted by The Node, Park Scholarships, and the Department of Biological Sciences at NC State.
I am originally from the small town of Norlina in rural Warren County, North Carolina. I knew that I wanted to be a scientist the first time I met a Black scientist in middle school at a STEM summer program. That same scientist first introduced me to biomedical research while I was a senior at the NC School of Science and Mathematics and I have been at it ever since. Because of her influence, I want to become a professor to educate and inspire the next generation of scientists, particularly those from historically minoritized and marginalized populations in STEM.
I earned my B.S. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from NC State University in May 2018. While at NC State, I was a Park Scholar, a leader in multiple student organizations, an introductory biology teaching assistant, and a Society for Developmental Biology "Choose Development!" undergraduate research fellow in the lab of Dr. Nanette Nascone-Yoder. I also completed an undergraduate research experience in the lab of Dr. Pamela Yelick through the Tufts University Building Diversity in the Biomedical Sciences program.
My work and accomplishments have been highlighted by The Node, Park Scholarships, and the Department of Biological Sciences at NC State.
