As a MD-PhD candidate, my doctoral research examines how host HLA class I and II variation shapes the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and, in turn, the severity of acute infection and Long COVID. Drawing on the All of Us Research Program and an institutional cohort of roughly 90,000 included participants, we characterized HLA alleles and their associations with clinical outcomes. The work was later expanded to include analysis of the 2025 Avian flu and 2023-2025 Influenza season.  My research interests include immunogenetics and large-scale clinical informatics, with a focus on delivering translational research in tandem to clinical practice. 

In addition to plant genomics, my previous research experience includes cancer genetics, clinical fecal microbiota transplantation, and neonatal gastrointestinal proteomics, with a focus on altered carbohydrate metabolism. Although these subjects may appear disparate, my trajectory reflects a consistent scientific orientation: the conviction that consequential biological questions rarely conform to disciplinary boundaries and that training across domains can reveal otherwise unrecognized relationships. 

I envision a career as an independent physician-scientist investigating the neuroimmune and genetic architecture of psychiatric illness while caring for patients whose experiences continually refine the questions I pursue. Additionally, I would like to further research the interplay between the gut-brain axis in contributing to clinical outcomes of patients with comorbid psychiatric illnesses. My long-term career goal is to conduct translational medical research as a physician scientist with a focus on bioinformatics, “-omics” (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics…) and electronic health record analysis. I would like to help reinforce a physician scientist pipeline through continued mentorship and community building while in residency. Eventually, I hope to use these skills to help run an MD-PhD program at an academic institution while continuing research pursuits.

In my free time, I draw, paint, craft, and flower arrange. Art has taught me to attend simultaneously to individual elements and the larger composition, recognize structure, tolerate ambiguity, and understand that meaning often emerges through relationships.

This site serves as a curated space for my research projects, academic interests, and selected creative work.