Greetings. I am a Research Technician in the Department of Physiology here at Northwestern University. I graduated from Saint Louis University (SLU) in 2015 with my B.S. in Exercise Science. Following graduation, I worked in a patellofemoral pain 3-D motion capture laboratory at SLU before beginning a clinical trial coordinator position at Washington University in St. Louis in breast oncology. This past summer I moved to Chicago and began working in the Disterhoft laboratory at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Our lab investigates the neurobiology associated with memory and aging. I am excited to begin my PhD at the University of Illinois at Chicago this fall. My professional goal is to earn a PhD in the Biomedical Sciences with a focus in regenerative medicine. However, I didn’t always know that I wanted to pursue a PhD. It took pursuing a different career path and working in various research settings to help me realize my career goals. I may have taken the long road to get where I am today but I am thankful for the lessons I learned along the way. Overall, I believe in the importance of pursuing a career that you are passionate about. I want to feel challenged and inspired by my work. It may seem intimidating at first to make this change but it is so rewarding in the end.
As a part of the Chicago Women in STEM Initiative I am excited for the opportunity to meet other women in the STEM fields and to become a part of a community. I hope to one day be able to serve as a mentor to young women pursuing a career in the sciences.