Upon earning my bachelor’s degree in marine biology, I joined the Patel Lab as a Research Assistant to advance ongoing lab projects and manage all animal care. In my current role, I have further advanced my lab skills through learning new techniques such as embryo microinjections, fluorescent staining, microscopy, and image processing. I also enjoy caring for the lab colonies of crustaceans, primarily Parhyale hawaiensis, and insects including flies, moths, and butterflies. Having this additional research experience in the Patel lab has reinforced my desire to attend graduate school to continue my education and take the next steps to becoming an independent researcher.
About Me:
Growing up on the coast of San Diego, California, I spent a lot of my time by the ocean and became curious about the diversity of marine animals underwater. While in high school, I volunteered at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, where I enjoyed sharing information with the public about the various marine species on display.
I went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. During my undergraduate studies, I worked as a Student Assistant in the Donahue lab at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, a research island owned and operated by the university. In this position, I assisted with an mesocosm experiment, learned to analyze raw data, and further developed an understanding of how to go about answering scientific questions in the field and lab.
Additionally, I took advantage of the robust opportunities to explore different branches of marine science while living in Hawaii. I assisted in oceanographic data collection aboard the Hawaii Ocean Time-series research vessel, published an honors research thesis analyzing the role of a Marine Protected Area at a local National Wildlife Refuge, collected plastics and fishing gear along threatened coral reefs with Hawaii’s Marine Animal Response to contribute to the NOAA’s Marine Debris Database, and became Open Water SCUBA certified.
Outside of science, I love being outdoors in the ocean, hiking, and trying local eateries. One of my favorite memories is diving with a tiger shark on the North Shore of Oahu!