Bio
I am a Black, Samoan, and Queer woman, born at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. My parents met in the Army (due to some frowned upon fraternization) and raised me in Grayson, Georgia. Despite both my parents being from small country towns, I am a city girl at heart with a deep love of sweet tea, college football, shopping, and whiskey. On an average day, you can catch me overly caffeinated singing/rapping to my cells, making jokes on twitter, replying to emails in <20 minutes, and checking in on my Nana.
Education
In 2014, I earned my bachelor's degree in neuroscience & classical history from Agnes Scott College, a private all-women's liberal arts school located in Decatur, GA. I went on to earn my Ph.D. in neuroscience from the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at Georgetown University located in Washington, D.C. in May 2020.
In July 2020, I joined the Faundez lab as a postdoc at Emory University to return to the South and train in cellular neuroscience, mentorship, and teaching.
Awards & Honors
My success has been recognized with numerous awards and academic honors - including being named Agnes Scott College's Outstanding Young Alumnae in 2020, one of Cell Mentor's 1000 Inspiring Black Scientist, and a spot in Forbes' 30 under 30 class of 2022. I have also been featured in several media outlets including National Geographic, Nature Careers, Nature Medicine, and Neuronline.
Hobbies/Fun Facts
Astrology: Aquarius Sun, Leo Moon, Cancer Rising,
Sixth House Capricorn Stellium
Myers Briggs: ISFJ "The Protector"
Enneagram: Type 6 "The Loyalist"
Despite never attending the University of Georgia, I am an avid UGA football fan. I consider myself a pop-punk aficionado and pop culture junky. I attribute my start in neuroscience to Fall Out Boy's From Under the Cork Tree (2005) and have been a fan ever since. I enjoy sharing my Spotify playlists with folks, reading young adult fiction, jigsaw puzzles, watching reality television, and cooking competition shows. I am a classically trained violinist and an aspiring professional make-up artist. I've never lost a game of Scattergories, and welcome a challenger!
