“In May 2024, I graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology from High Point University (HPU). At HPU, I contributed to five research projects under Dr. Verónica Segarra and Dr. Kristen Ackerman, and was selected for the competitive Undergraduate Research Program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where I worked under Dr. Helen Hou. 

I’m excited to announce that I moved to Dallas, Texas and started my Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD program at Southern Methodist University in the Fall 2025. I was also selected for an SMU University PhD Fellowship, which will provide five years of fellowship funding in addition to my program stipend.

My research interests include identifying genetic predispositions, investigating molecular mechanisms, and developing targeted therapies for epilepsy and brain injury repair following events like traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke. I also plan to rotate in a lab studying cellular stress responses and neuroprotection. My passion for epilepsy research is largely because of my older sister Samantha, who developed post-traumatic epilepsy after a sports-related TBI and passed away from Sudden Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) two years later. 

As always, I am beyond grateful to everyone at the Tin Whistles Scholarship Foundation for helping me get to this point!”