Lawndale, California, United States
I’m a senior at CSU Dominguez Hills majoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology. I am planning on pursuing a Ph.D in Biomedical Sciences. Currently I am working at the McCauley Lab developing methods for the identification of natural products from marine fungi via MALDI-TOF MS. As a Beckman Scholar, I am actively expanding my skills and serving as an active member of STEM-promoting and Biological Honor Society organizations on campus. My objective is to inspire students and to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge.
• Currently developing a growth and extraction methods for marine fungi to enhance protein and small molecule detection via MALDI-TOF MS. • Developed a GUI-based tool to standardize Shimadzu MALDI-TOF data, ensuring reproducible, high-quality inputs for IDBac microbial analysis through AI-assisted development and rigorous validation.
• Conducted MALDI-TOF experiments on unknown bacterial strains from kelp to identify potential novel compounds. • Utilized bioinformatics tools, specifically IDBac, for taxonomical clustering and metabolite production analysis. • Executed Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), gel electrophoresis, and Sanger Sequencing to confirm taxonomical classifications. • Attended workshops to enhance R-programming skills, applying them in research contexts.
• Conducted in-depth research on the therapeutic potential of mitochondria-targeted compounds against breast and pancreatic cancer cell lines. • Presented findings at the 20th Annual Research Conference at CSUDH, securing 2nd Place in the Poster Presentation competition. • Shared research insights at the City of Hope Summer Research Symposium, contributing to ongoing cancer research initiatives.
• Conducted genomic data analysis for the desert plant genus Encelia to explore genetic patterns related to rarity. • Acquired foundational skills in Python programming for genomic analysis • Supported research initiatives funded by the Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) at California State University-Dominguez Hills.