I am a PhD student in the Microbiology Graduate Group at UC Davis. I grew up in New Jersey where I also got my B.S. in Biology with a concentration in molecular cell physiology from Monmouth University. I explored how Kumquat and Manuka Essential Oils impacted the growth, viability, and stress signaling in different cancer cell lines. I then obtained my ScM in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I did research on how certain artificial sweeteners modulate the gut microbiome and their subsequent effects on host metabolic health. I am currently interested in how different environmental microbiomes can be modified to mitigate the effects of climate change. In my free time I like to read, write, cook, hike, and look after my plants.