Research Interests

Broadly, my scientific and research goals aim to explore the microbial world and how microbes can benefit or impact society and the environment. I am also focused on outreach and mentoring undergraduate/graduate students and postdocs in the lab. There are several ways to apply for an internship at LLNL, including NNSA-MSIIP, GEM Fellowship, SULI, Seaborg Internships, and LLNL Jobs.

I received my Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA investigating the biodegradation of poly- and perfluoroalkyl compounds. Subsequently, I was a Research Fellow at the Earth-Life Science Institute and the University of Southern California and studied the microbes living within serpentinite-hosted ecosystems through physiological experiments and single-cell genomics. Currently, I work on three projects: (1) the microbial impact on plutonium mobilization in the environment, (2) the biodegradation of plastic polymers for rare earth element recovery, and (3) the impact of climate change on freshwater wetland biogeochemistry and carbon sequestration capacity. Other research interests include radical-induced impacts on microbes and the development of single-cell methods for microbiological investigations (e.g., single-cell -omics, Raman spectroscopy, encapsulation). My overall research areas include:

• Microbial Ecology
• Geobiology
• Astrobiology
• Microbe-metal interactions
• Meta-omics
• Bioinformatics
• Climate change

Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, Civil Engineering (Environmental)

M.S., University of California, Los Angeles, Civil Engineering (Environmental)

B.S., University of California, Los Angeles, Environmental Science

Google Scholar

• Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD FY22–23)
• BBTD Spot Award for Outstanding Contributions to the BBTD Seminar Series (2021)
• ELSI Origins Network (EON) Research Fellowship (2016–2018)
• UCLA Dissertation Year Program Award (2015–2016)
• The Chrysler Foundation Scholarship (2014–2015; received through SWE)
• SWE at UCLA Scholarship (2014–2015)
• Susan E. Stutz-McDonald Foundation Scholarship (2013–2014; received through SWE)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) STAR Fellowship (2011–2014)

Service

• Review editor for Frontiers in Microbiology – Extreme Microbiology (2022–present)
• National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) Champion (2021–present)
• Co-coordinator for LLNL Biosciences and Biotechnology Division (BBTD) Seminar Series (2020)
• Judge for LLNL Institutional SLAM summer students virtual presentations (2020)
• Co-organizer for Savannah River Site Microbe Workshop (2020)
• Conference co-organizer for the 6^th (2018) and 9^th (2021) ELSI Symposium
• Judge for AGU conference for the Outstanding Student Presentation Awards (2019)
• Session chair at Astrobiology Science Conference (2017)
• Vice president external & secretary for UCLA Engineering Graduate Students Association (2012–2015)
• Graduate director & mentor for Society of UCLA Women Engineers (2011–2015)