About Me
I grew up in Southern California, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Afterward, I completed my postbaccalaureate education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with an emphasis on pre-medical studies. With a goal of becoming an oncologist, my passion for cancer research started as a research intern at the University of Southern California (USC), where I investigated lung cancer health disparities within the African American patient population and developed/expanded novel lung adenocarcinoma cell lines for groups who are underrepresented in medicine/research.
I joined the Welm lab because I wanted to expand my curiosity about another oncological disease, which is breast cancer. I want to use my previous research skills to advance patient-derived organoid models (PDMs) from breast cancer patients and other projects that could lead to drug discovery and better medical treatments. When I am not in the lab, I use my free time to work out, watch anime, cook different cuisines, and spend time with my daughter and spouse.