I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Immunology at the University of Minnesota. I work in the lab of Thomas Griffith. I have a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry from the University of Arizona.
Sepsis, a dysregulated host response to a systemic microbial infection, causes 1 in 3 deaths at hospitals, and is a burden that has no successful clinical treatment. It also has associated long term effects on the immune system such as lymphopenia and immune paralysis. With the guidance of Dr. Thomas Griffith, I am investigating the consequences of sepsis on the immune cells, specifically T-cells. By receiving clinical blood samples from hospitalized septic patients, I evaluate the immune responses upon restimulation of those immune cells in comparison to healthy patient samples. While sepsis is a deadly condition the patient faces, there are long term impacts such as immune-paralysis and increased risk of morbidity upon subsequent infections if the patient recovers. I therefore strive to determine if dysfunctional and/or ineffective T-cells are contributing to increased risk of reinfection.
Sepsis is a non-discriminatory condition. While generally seen in older (age 65+) and immunocompromised individuals, it also can be seen in pediatric and younger adults. Therefore, there are two arms to how my studies can contribute to better understanding of sepsis: analysis of T-cells circulating within septic patients during their hospitalization and evaluating their functionality. This will determine if T-cells are dysregulated during the host response. The other arm includes the long-term effects of sepsis on T-cells and analyze which aspects of protection T-cells provide are impaired. This will be important in understanding why individuals post sepsis are prone to reinfection, and if certain precautions may need to be taken to better protect them (additional adjuvants for administering vaccines to post septic individuals).
The funds from this award will be used to cover the cost of important reagents needed to examine the phenotype and function of T cells obtained from the blood of sepsis patients and health control donors. These reagents include antibodies, assay kits, and core facility fees. For example, I plan to use cutting-edge technology (with the help of UMN core facilities) to assess the functionality of T cells from sepsis patients at the single-cell level. This assay will include conditions designed to test the extent to which administration of immunomodulatory agent can boost the functional capacity of T cells.
My current sight is to work at a post-doctoral position in industry after receiving my Ph.D. I’m open to expanding my understanding of clinical therapeutics and their mechanisms.
Originally from Arizona, I try to maintain a physically active lifestyle, but only in air-conditioning. I go indoor bouldering, rock climbing, swimming, and walks around the lake if the weather is nice. My favorite fiction author is Brandon Sanderson and I also enjoy cooking.
