Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Scholarships: GAANN Fellowship, 2006-2008
Awards: Second Place Poster Award: Controlled Release Society-Illinois Student Chapter Symposium 2011Second Place Poster Award: University of Michigan Graduate Student Symposium 2010Second Place Poster Award: Controlled Release Society-Illinois Student Chapter Symposium 2009
Hobbies: I enjoy playing acoustic guitar, which I have been doing for about 7 years. I am also addicted to music in all forms, but in particular I prefer live music events. I also enjoy hiking, camping, outdoor festivals, cooking, and writing.
Favorite Quote: "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny ...'-Isaac Asimov"

I am currently working on the development of novel nano-conjugates for the treatment of primary liver cancer. These polymer-based therapeutic systems are designed to specifically accumulate in tumor tissue, followed by selective delivery of chemotherapeutic agents into cancer cells. These systems will enhance the anticancer activity of the chemotherapeutic agents while minimizing non-specific toxicity. Additionally, these versatile nano-therapeutics can be exploited for the treatment of other liver based diseases (e.g. hepatitis), or treatment of other carcinomas and sarcomas.