I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Cellular and Molecular Biology department at Northwestern. I am the first woman in my family to receive a Bachelor’s Degree (Spanish) and a PhD (Immunology). I work in Tom Hope’s lab, where we focus on HIV transmission. My research examines mother-to-child HIV transmission through breastfeeding and HIV pre-clinical vaccine development. I was interested in pursuing science to help others. I was recently added to the Trainee Advisory Board for the Center for Reproductive Sciences at Northwestern University. My hope is to use my scientific background and skills from my PhD and postdoctoral training into the community and nonprofit sector through HIV outreach and advocacy.