People

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
Utilization of nucleic acid molecular recognition and self-assembly to generate functional architectures for biosensing and bioimaging

Key words
Chemical Biology, Molecular Recognition, Biomolecular Assembly, Nucleic Acids, Biosensors, Cellular Imaging, RNA Editing, Biomaterials

Program: Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Graduation Year: 2023

Thesis Advisor: Jeffrey P. Henderson

Thesis Title: "Function and regulation of virulence-associated siderophores in uropathogenic Enterobacterales"

Program affiliation
General

Research summary
My research centers on defining how the dynamic conformational landscape of drug targets governs ligand binding, selectivity, and downstream signaling. Using integrated approaches—including molecular dynamics simulations, pharmacophore modeling, and virtual screening—I identify and characterize novel modulators for several targts. These studies uncover previously unrecognized binding pockets, reveal mechanisms of ligand-induced activation or inhibition

Key words

Program: Molecular Cell Biology

Graduation Year: 2019

Thesis Advisor: David G. DeNardo

Thesis Title: T cell immunity in pancreatic cancer is undermined due to dendritic cell dysfunction

Program: Plant and Microbial Biosciences

Current advisor: Rotating in the lab of Kevin L. Cox Jr., PhD

Undergraduate university: University of North Alabama, 2024

Program: Neurosciences

Graduation Year: 2010

Thesis Advisor: Pablo M. Blazquez

Thesis Title: Roles of inhibitory interneurons in cerebellar cortical processing for oculomotor control.

Program: Immunology

Graduation Year: 1996

Thesis Advisor: Herbert W. Virgin

Thesis Title: Regulation of Macrophage Activation during Herpesvirus Infection.

Program: Neurosciences

Graduation Year: 2020

Thesis Advisor: Dennis L. Barbour

Thesis Title: Joint estimation of perceptual, cognitive, and neural processes.

Program: Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Graduation Year: 1993

Thesis Advisor: William E. Goldman

Thesis Title: Cellular Mediators of Bordetella pertussis Tracheal Cytotoxin Damage to the Respiratory Epithelium

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Cancer Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science

Research summary
Redox biochemistry in cell signaling and disease, Proteomics

Key words
proteomics, post-translational modification, cysteine, redox, mass spectrometry, oxidation