Curriculum Vitae

Graduate Research Fellow – Rice University

Dr. Michael R. King Laboratory · Department of Bioengineering · Houston, TX

• Innovating ex vivo CAR T cell manufacturing strategies that leverage mechanical stimuli to enhance activation, persistence, and cytotoxicity at solid tumor sites following adoptive T cell transfer therapy
• Isolating primary human T cells and conducting advanced biophysical assays to reveal age- and sex-specific differences in membrane composition and mechanical properties to inform personalized immunotherapy strategies
• Developing a computational model of T cell activation (ODE-based intracellular signaling) to generate predictive insights into how membrane composition and biophysical forces regulate immune cell signaling and function

Graduate Research Fellow (Visiting Scholar) – Vanderbilt University

Dr. Michael R. King Laboratory · Department of Biomedical Engineering · Nashville, TN

MS thesis project conducted in clinical collaboration with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, concurrent with PhD dissertation research. Manuscript in review.

• Led a translational research project investigating circulating tumor cell (CTC) dynamics in metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) patients undergoing Pluvicto (¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA-617) radioligand therapy, collaborating closely with oncologists, radiologists, and faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Processed over 100 blood samples from mPCa patients before, during, and after Pluvicto treatment to isolate and immunostain CTCs, enabling temporal analysis of CTC burden and phenotypic changes throughout treatment
• Developed an image processing algorithm to quantify PSMA protein expression and nuclear features in CTCs to correlate cellular characteristics with clinical markers of treatment response, including PSA levels and radiographic findings

Undergraduate Research Fellow – University of Florida

Dr. Carlos M. Rinaldi-Ramos Laboratory · Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering · Gainesville, FL

• Characterized super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for in vivo imaging applications in cancer immunotherapy
• Evaluated sensitivity and resolution of in-house synthesized SPIONs using the MOMENTUM™ Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) system
• Performed in vivo experiments to monitor and track the biodistribution of T cells following Adoptive Cell Transfer (ACT) in breast cancer and glioblastoma murine models

R&D Project Lead

Lucere Laboratories, LLC · Gainesville, FL

• Led the development of a luminometer prototype to optimize detection and reduce manufacturing costs of D-Luciferin
• Established critical partnerships, including with the UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Department, enabling product testing and optimization
• Developed and executed a marketing and sales strategy leveraging CRM tools to identify target markets, tailor products to client needs, and drive collaboration between academic and industrial sectors

Undergraduate Research Fellow – University of Florida

Dr. Todd E. Golde Laboratory · Department of Neuroscience · Gainesville, FL

• Developed MATLAB program to analyze fluorescent images of 3D ex vivo brain slice cultures exhibiting tau protein aggregation, a primary marker of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases

Undergraduate Research Fellow – University of Florida

Dr. Norman Fitz-Coy Laboratory · Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering · Gainesville, FL

• Collected data for DebriSat, a collaborative project led by NASA, The Aerospace Corporation, and the US Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center to improve and update NASA's Standard Breakup Model through orbital debris modeling
• Analyzed space debris from hypervelocity satellite collisions to inform spacecraft design and improve debris mitigation strategies