Education
Professional MS, Marine Biology (As part of Three Seas/East West Program)
Northeastern University, Boston, MA 2009
Research project: Arm regeneration rates in the comet star, Linckia columbiae
BA, Biophysics, 2007
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Research Experience
Research Associate, Duke University, June 2009 – present
PI: Dr. Sonke Johnsen
- Studied the effects of changes in salinity and temperature on tissue transparency in the tail muscle of the daggerblade grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio (Manuscript in progress)
- Used optical sensors to detect changes in light transmittance intensity
- Used confocal microscopy to visualize changes in P. pugio muscle fibers
Research Assistant, Northeastern University, September 2008 – November 2008
PI: Dr. Jeremy Long
- Used terrestrial and aquatic survey techniques to quantify the effects of human trampling on recruitment and growth of benthic flora and fauna
- Helped set up long term monitoring project in Acadia National Park, ME
Undergraduate researcher, Telethon Institute for Genetics and Medicine, Naples, Italy, 2005
PI: Dr. Alberto Auricchio
- Used PCR to create a chimeric gene product to be used in gene therapy against Mucopolysaccharidosis VI.
- Microtomed and analyzed liver, kidney, muscle, and heart tissue of sacrificed mice
Undergraduate researcher, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, 2004-2007
PI: Dr. David Johns
- Helped review methods of gene therapy techniques using adeno-associated viruses
- Cultured multiple cell types and harvested viruses for the Gene Therapy Vector Core
Relevant Work Experience
Penguin Husbandry Volunteer, New England Aquarium, Boston, MA January 2008 – September 2008
- Fed and performed day-to-day upkeep of African, Rockhopper, and Little Blue penguins
Skills
- AAUS certified scientific diver, NAUI certified advanced diver, NAUI Nitrox diver
- In addition to skills mentioned above, familiar with coral reef fish and invertebrate taxonomy, CTD techniques, Western blotting and other molecular techniques
- Familiarity and experience with terrestrial and underwater photography and videography
- Experience with Jmol, Spectrasuite, Adobe photoshop, ImageJ, and JMP statistical software
Presentations
- Now you see it, now you don’t: The effects of salinity and temperature on the transparency of the ghost shrimp. Annual Meeting of Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January 2010.
References available upon request