I completed my B.S. in Biology at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. During my time as an undergraduate student, I pursued an interest in food microbiology through positions in the wine and beer industry. I then transitioned into the pharmaceutical industry to explore the human health side of microbiology. I obtained my M.S. in Microbiology from North Carolina State University where I did my thesis work in the lab of Dr. Manuel Kleiner. At N.C. State, I used metaproteomics to study the interactions between dietary protein and the intestinal microbiota. During my time at N.C. State, I took a virology course that prompted me to transition my research focus and ultimately join the Molecular Genetics and Microbiology program at Duke. My current research interests involve combining genome editing and virology. In the Luftig lab I am using genetic approaches to study the role of EBV in Burkitt Lymphoma.
