Postdoc
I earned my PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois, where I studied how diet and the gut microbiome can influence cognition through the gut-brain axis. My earlier work, during my BS (Biology and Chemistry; minor in Physics) and MS (Food Science and Human Nutrition), ranged from studying antibiotic-resistant pathogens and investigating synergistic treatments to overcome resistance to optimizing a probiotic using the food matrix for improved survivability. As I transition into postdoctoral training in Pathobiology, I am interested in developing expertise in animal models and cell culture systems to explore mechanistic and causal interactions between microbial ecology and host health.