Tell us about your background. What led you to pursue a career in research?

When I was in high school, I tutored a middle school student who had suffered from brain cancer and multiple brain bleeds. His traumatic brain injuries caused learning deficits that majorly impacted his quality of life. I felt extreme sympathy for him, and my curiosity about the brain was sparked. I majored in Neuroscience at Christopher Newport University in Virginia where I got involved in undergraduate research with Dr. Gina Fernandez. I fell in love with research and knew I wanted to dive deeper into the neurobiology and biophysics of the brain. I was exposed to electrophysiology for the first time during an internship at Oregon Health and Science University and learned whole-cell patch clamping on dopamine neurons. I became very passionate about using electrophysiology to study diseases and abuse disorders. I got connected with Dr. Stephanie Gantz who does amazing work, so now I am here working as a research assistant in Dr. Gantz's lab. 

What is the focus of your work? 

I am interested in researching the role of the Glutamate Delta 1 Receptor (GluD1R) in midbrain dopamine neurons and how cocaine exposure effects these receptor currents and neuroplasticity.

What excites you about the research environment in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics?

I am excited to be in Dr. Gantz's lab and the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics because everyone is very knowledgeable and inspiring for me to continue my career in Electrophysiology and Neuroscience. 

How do you hope your research will impact the field and the broader community?

I believe the biophysical properties of the brain play a crucial role in driving behavior and effects neurological diseases and disorders. I hope to contribute to the understanding of the GluD1 receptor, as Dr. Gantz and her lab have already done, because the GluD1R is implicated to be involved in several disorders. I hope our research will help broaden the scientific community's understanding of the brain and possibly identify novel targets for therapeutic drugs.