Summary

Currently employed at Emory University. PhD Candidate, Neuroscience Graduate Program

Education

• Ph.D in Neuroscience

  2028
  Emory University
• B.A. in Chemistry

  2020
  Emory University

Publications

• Spiteful Weapons and the Environmental Dependence of Phage

  2020
  Emory Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

  Undergraduate Honors Thesis.

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• Mucoidy, a general mechanism for maintaining lytic phage in populations of bacteria

  2020
  FEMS Microbiology Ecology

  This study demonstrates that overproduction of exopolysaccharides, "mucoidy", allows bacterial populations to be resistant to lytic bacteriophage infection. We found that spontaneous reversion from the mucoid state to the susceptible non-mucoid state allows these phage-resistant bacterial populations to maintain lytic viruses without greatly affecting the bacterial population density.

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• Spinal V1 inhibitory interneuron clades differ in birthdate, projections to motoneurons, and heterogeneity

  2024
  eLife

  This study characterizes the various subtypes ("clades") of spinal V1 interneurons, describing their relative neurogenesis times, their distributions throughout the lumbar spinal cord, and their connections to motoneurons. It also investigates the molecular identities of further subdivisions within the Foxp2-V1 clade, and demonstrates that some of these Foxp2-V1s have connectivity that resembles reciprocal Ia inhibitory interneurons (IaINs).

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• Synchrony within Aβ mechanoreceptor subtypes governs signal propagation to primary somatosensory cortex

  2026
  bioRxiv (preprint)

  This study uses optogenetics with a fast channelrhodopsin variant (CatCh) to reveal how temporal patterns and synchrony of activity within Aβ low threshold mechanoreceptor subtypes control signal propagation to primary somatosensory cortex. We found that sustained cortical responses require synchronous activation of multiple Aβ SAI-LTMRs, while Aβ RAI-LTMRs drive robust cortical responses even with asynchronous activation.

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Presentations

• V1 Interneurons Expressing Foxp2 are a Highly Heterogeneous Clade

  2022
  The Seminars in Integrative Neuroscience (SIN), Emory Cell Biology

  Atlanta, GA, USA

  Presented research findings on the heterogeneity of spinal V1 interneurons expressing the transcription factor Foxp2.
• Renshaw Cell Modulation of Reciprocal Inhibition and Motor Output

  2026
  SOM: Cell Biology Research in Progress

  Atlanta, GA, USA

  Presented ongoing research investigating how Renshaw cells modulate reciprocal inhibition pathways and influence motor output.

Teaching

• NBB 301: Neuroscience Laboratory

  2024
  Emory University, Department of Cell Biology

  Role: Teaching Assistant

  Assisted with undergraduate neuroscience laboratory course, guiding students through experimental techniques and data analysis.

Portfolio

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  Portfolio

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