ABOUT ME

As an MD/PhD candidate at UMass Chan Medical School, I am training to address deficits in patient-centered clinical outcomes through translational pharmacology research. My professional development in scientific research began at the College of Charleston, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and chemistry. There, I conducted synthetic chemistry research with Frederick Heldrich and completed a thesis with Gamil Guirgis on the properties of novel organosilicon compounds, providing me with a foundational skillset in basic chemistry research, experimental design, and scientific communication. Additionally, pharmacophore modeling in my coursework introduced me to the impactful therapeutic applications of applied molecular science. I explored my burgeoning interest in drug discovery research in Mark Hamann’s lab at the Medical University of South Carolina, where I prepared semisynthetic derivatives of manzamine A to evaluate their potential antimalarial and antineoplastic activity. Alongside my research, I trained as an emergency medical technician and shadowed a pediatric intensivist for exposure to clinical medicine, which solidified my appreciation of clinical problem-solving and patient encounters. Consequently, I joined the Medical Scientist Training Program at UMass Chan Medical School to reconcile translational research, clinical practice, meaningful human interaction, and lifelong learning into a cohesive career goal. Under the mentorship of Ken Yamada and Anastasia Khvorova in the RNA Therapeutics Institute, I completed doctoral research spanning the disciplines of medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and pharmacology. Specifically, I chemically modified siRNA guide strands with novel 5′-phosphate mimics to modulate their bioactivity through contextual molecular recognition and reactivity, thereby obtaining mechanistic insights into RNA–protein interactions and establishing adaptable strategies for oligonucleotide drug design. In addition to my thesis research, I have completed my preclinical medical education and USMLE Step 1 and continue to refine my clinical interests through clerkships, with particular consideration of emergency medicine, anesthesiology, critical care, and toxicology. Ultimately, I hope to empower my patients and fellow clinicians with a more effective, tolerable, and convenient armamentarium of targeted molecular therapies through a physician-scientist career in academic medicine or the pharmaceutical industry.