I am an experienced researcher with expertise in the fields of immunology, virology, and neuroscience. After developing a background in biochemistry during my undergraduate studies, I pursued my Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Anschutz. My thesis work, focusing on the role of the Parkinson's protein (alpha-synuclein) on immune responses in the central nervous system, helped me develop my skills in assay design, murine modeling, and data analysis. I am particularly skilled at fluorescent microscopy and disease modeling. My work not only resulted in my thesis publication in the journal *Brain,* but also resulted in the successful funding of an R01 grant for our lab. Following this, I developed my molecular biology skills during a brief postdoctoral position in Bonn, Germany. My work in Bonn included pathway analysis and multi-omics analysis. More recently, I have joined the lab of Dr. Roberta Pelanda at the Univeristy of Colorado, studying the origins of autoimmunity and disruptions in central tolerance. I have mentored several students, succesfully applied for grants, and published several peer-reviewed papers.