I am a geomicrobiologist and much of my recent work has focused on the impacts of toxic metals and metalloids on microbial physiology and evolution and, in turn, how microorganisms impact the speciation and availability of these metals. My experimental approach involves a combination of laboratory microbiology, biochemical techniques (e.g. whole cell activity assays, protein purification), analytical techniques (e.g. ICP-OES, ICP-MS, HPLC, GC, and IC), and multi-omics analyses.

I received my PhD in Microbial Biology from Rutgers in 2020. My dissertation examined the role of microbial sulfur metabolism in the biogeochemistry of the metalloids tellurium and selenium.

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher working in the Adams lab at the University of Georgia. I work as a part of the larger ENIGMA (Ecosystems & Networks Integrated with Genes & Molecular Assemblies) consortium of 16 principal investigators located at 11 institutions across the country.  As a part of this larger research group, I study the physiology of key taxa isolated from a highly contaminated subsurface site. I am exploring how site-relevant co-contaminants (e.g. nitrate, uranium, and other toxic metals) impact microbial nitrogen cycling at the site. This work informs our understanding of the factors facilitating microbial resilience at contaminated sites and controls of nitrogen cycling at sites with high anthropogenic nitrogen inputs.


Education
Ph.D. Microbial Biology, Rutgers, 2020
B.S. Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014

Professional Appointments
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Georgia, 2021-Present
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Rutgers, 2020-2021