I am a Schmidt Science Fellow and Postdoctoral Scholar in the Ronald Lab who is exploring plant genetic diversity to detect new innate immune genes across the plant kingdom. My long-term goal is to apply this knowledge to bioengineer multi-pathogen resistant crops. I initially studied HIV and human immunology at the NIH, and then pursued my Biomedical Sciences PhD at UCSF to examine the ancestral origin of cGAS innate immunity in bacteria. Here, I discovered a novel class of viral 'sponge' inhibitors that can block a diversity of nucleotide signaling pathways used in innate immunity across the tree of life. This work inspired me to explore innate immunity and host-pathogen interactions in an entirely new system: plants. During my postdoc training in the Ronald Lab, I'm excited to expand my understanding of plant biology and pathology, build a diverse, open-source dataset of plant genomes, and apply advanced bioinformatic tools to discover entirely new innate immune pathways in plants. Beyond the lab, I am an ardent advocate for equity and inclusion in science and women's empowerment. As a Colorado native, I also enjoy hiking, camping, and broadly exploring the outdoors with friends and family.