My goal is to find truth and beauty in life. On one hand, I strive for this as an interdisciplinary research scientist, working at the intersection of math and biology. On the other hand, I am passionate about the performing arts, especially the expression found through dance.
I am currently a PhD student in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I graduated from Duke University in December of 2015 with degrees in Mathematics and Biology, where I studied mechanistic models for cancer growth and response to treatment under Rick Durrett. Prior to attending Duke, I worked at the Sartorius-Stedim Biotech Center at UNC Pembroke studying the growth patterns of Photorhabdus luminescens bacteria under Len Holmes and Guo Wei. I completed a Master's thesis with Laura Miller and am currently working jointly under Greg Forest and Sam Lai at UNC, where I am focusing on mathematical models for drug delivery. I enjoy the unique perspective that comes from studying systems at the intersection of math and biology, allowing ideas from one discipline to cross over into the other and advance knowledge in ways that otherwise wouldn't be possible.
I have trained in classical and contemporary styles of ballet, as well as modern, jazz, and tap. More recently, I have begun branching out into the world of musical theater. I performed for several years with the North Carolina State Ballet in Fayetteville, NC, under the direction of Charlotte Blume and Wei Ni, and studied with the Duke University Dance program, where I had the opportunity to train with Tyler Walters, Julie Walters, and Barbara Dickinson, among others. I also trained and performed with Legacy Repertory Company in Durham. Featured roles include Clara and Flower Queen in the Nutcracker, Four Little Swans in Swan Lake, Prelude Girl in Les Sylphides, Fairy of Eloquence in Sleeping Beauty, and Winter Girl in the Four Seasons. In the fall of 2014, I performed the premiere of my choreographic project, "Coming of Age," in November Dances at Reynolds Theater at Duke University. I am currently working as a freelance dancer, choreographer, dance model, and performing artist in the Triangle region of NC.