BS in Biology and Biotechnology, Worchester Polytechnic Institute

Born and raised in Connecticut, I was looking forward to coming back
and pursuing my MPH in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale. I
earned my undergraduate degree in Biology and Biotechnology, with a
minor in Environmental Studies, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in
Massachusetts, where I was a four-year student-athlete on the women’s
basketball team. While balancing athletics and academics, I completed
my senior thesis on the effect of cannabinoids on anxiety in C.
elegans induced by their predator, P. pacificus. Through all my
research courses and projects, I discovered my love for working in a
lab and studying science. I was eager to transition from learning in a
classroom setting to working in a professional lab where I could learn
more about the biology of infectious pathogens, a longtime interest.
My study abroad experience in Namibia, Africa exposed me to the
central role animals and nature play in local culture and livelihoods.
This inspired me to center my public health research and career on a
One Health approach. Bringing these interests together, I am excited
to study the factors that influence arbovirus transmission, including
dengue, West Nile, and Powassan viruses, in the Vogels Lab. Outside of
the lab, I’m usually at the gym, doing my nails, parenting my cat, or
playing Resident Evil—fitting, I know.