The longer version, for those interested
Biology, medicine, and storytelling have always been inextricably linked for me. When I was growing up, I felt like I lived in the hospital, a place where things can feel out of control. Out of a desire to make sense of it all, I asked so, so many questions. Before I knew it, I was spending my free time drawing organ systems and mechanistic pathways. Understanding how disease & therapeutics worked had captured me like a moth to a light.
I completed my Ph.D. at Harvard Medical School in Tim Mitchison's lab, where I had 7 different projects spanning cancer biology, mechanisms of platelet activation, and alternative medicines. My dissertation focused on the unexpected mechanisms of microtubule-based cancer drugs, using non-dividing cells as a model. I also fell in love with quantitative microscopy, and created a YouTube channel to make the Ph.D. admissions process accessible to anyone who was interested.
After my Ph.D., I felt a profound sense of loss without the microscopes that brought me so much joy - so I picked up a camera. What at first felt like a coping mechanism became a form of self-expression and an exploration of the world around us. I’m still working on verbalizing why I take pictures - a skill I’m cultivating on my Substack: “Another day in color”.
In addition to my work in health and photography, I run, hike with my rescue beagle, and enjoy the feeling the sun on my skin at the beach.
