In June 2014, I completed my undergraduate senior thesis at the University of California, Santa Cruz. My research goal was to further the current understanding of the human astrovirus by investigating the secondary structure of its viral capsid protein. Astroviruses are a leading cause of viral gastroenteritis in young children, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly. Long-term goals also included vaccine research and antiviral treatments.

As a part of the Rebecca DuBois lab, my research involved many lab techniques including protein purification and crystallography. I also had opportunities in using bioinformatics for building and troubleshooting experiments. I received awards for my strong engineering skills and the thesis I had written, including the 2014 Huffman Prize.

In March 2016, my contributions led to exciting research that was published in ASM’s Journal of Virology. I am very proud of the DuBois lab and the great work that has been done!

Have questions about my research? Please feel free to contact me.