Before graduating from Emory University in 2005 with a B.S. in Biology, I spent a year researching fragile X syndrome under Dr. Stephanie Sherman in the Department of Human Genetics as an Honors Thesis candidate in Biology. My work focused on fragile X carrier males and the potential use of the 5’UTR CGG repeat sequence as a predictor of FMR1 transcript levels while also expanding upon an earlier study that looked at the relationship of transcription level and repeat size. From January 2006 through August 2008 I worked at the J. Craig Venter Institute (formerly known as TIGR) as part of the NIAID-funded Influenza Genome Sequencing Project. In addition to overseeing the day-to-day lab operations that made up our portion of the sequencing pipeline, I spent time screening several collections of influenza A samples for evidence of co-infection with influenza B. These results are now being combined with research underway at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine for publication and future study. As I enter this program I think I would like to focus on molecular biology and the study of human genetics. More specifically I am interested in gene expression and its role in disease. However, I’ve had great experiences in courses ranging from cell biology to immunology and do not want to limit myself to one narrow path.

    In my free time I enjoy sports, reading, and food. I enjoy watching football and soccer, played lacrosse in high school and college, and have been playing golf recreationally since the age of 10. I tend to read a lot of fiction but do mix in some non-fiction when I come across something that sounds interesting. I am looking forward to living in Manhattan for all that it has to offer, particularly the vast selection of restaurants representing cuisines and cultures from around the world.