About

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biology at Indiana State University. My research focuses on epigenetic regulation during embryonic development, particularly the role of Hox genes in cardiac formation.

As a doctoral trainee in the laboratory of Dr. Kristopher R. Schwab I am exploring the molecular and genetic functions of chromatin and transcriptional regulatory genes in heart development. My current research focuses on investigating polycomb (Pc) regulation of Hox activity within the developing heart using the Drosophila embryonic dorsal vessel as an experimental model of cardiogenesis. We believe that knowledge of the mechanisms by which Hox and other cardiac target genes are regulated in human heart development can be applied to understanding the genetic anomalies that are involved in human congenital heart defects.

My broader research interests include developmental biology, epigenetics, gene regulation, and molecular mechanisms underlying congenital diseases.