During my undergraduate studies at Boston University (’18), where I studied biochemistry and molecular biology, I also took a keen interest in developmental biology while working in the laboratory of Dr. Mikel García-Marcos, investigating how a non-canonical heterotrimeric G protein-activator regulates tissue remodeling and neural tube folding in the early vertebrate embryo. Then, under the direction of Dr. Daniel Cifuentes, I was able to explore how the unique Dicer-independent processing of a particular microRNA allows it to shape terminal erythrocyte differentiation. With a simultaneous ambition to become a physician, I proceeded to pursue a Master of Public Health (‘21) from the University of Connecticut to understand how science and medicine can help mitigate health inequities. During this time, I was also working in the laboratory of Dr. Christine Beck at the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, where I studied how transposable elements give rise to structural variation and genomic instability, using both molecular biological and bioinformatic approaches. Now, upon entering the MD-PhD program at UConn, I am interested in understanding how post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA orchestrates the fate of a cell, whether it be during early embryonic development or differentiation processes. In the Beaudoin Lab, I am particularly interested in the regulatory framework of 3’ UTRs in the zebrafish maternal-to-zygotic transition. I like to achieve balance by going on hikes, spinning on my bike, watching tennis, and trying different cuisines.