Hometown: Archbald, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate: BS in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Scranton

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself before you came to Drexel?

Before coming to Drexel, I was very interested in pursuing an advanced degree that focused specifically on cancer research. Throughout my years at the University of Scranton, I was actively involved in the Colleges Against Cancer club, which held a Relay for Life event every spring. During my senior year, I was the chairperson for this event at my university. Additionally, the summer before my senior year of undergrad, I accepted an internship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. During the three-month internship, I was given my own project, which focused on triple negative breast cancer, and presented my findings during a poster session at the end of the summer. These experiences propelled me forward to discover a program like the Cancer Biology program at Drexel.

How did you discover your program?

Based on what I had mentioned in the previous question, I was actively seeking master's programs that specialized in oncology. I spent many hours searching the internet for programs with these specific criteria on the East Coast, and Drexel was one of five universities I applied to that offered these types of programs.

What was your relationship with the faculty like?

The relationship I had with the faculty throughout all the departments was positive. They were available and very helpful while preparing for exams, and they were very supportive before, during and after my thesis defense for graduation.

How about the relationship with your classmates?

I became very close with the students in my immediate program and the students who worked on the same research floor as I did. We would help one another during the day with troubleshooting experiments, but we would also spend time outside of the lab/classes to go out to dinner or happy hour. Having that relationship with my classmates definitely enhanced my experience at Drexel.

Can you tell me about the research that you did while at Drexel?

During my time at Drexel, I worked in Dr. Strochlich's lab investigating the role of RECQ1 in triple negative breast cancer. I learned various techniques that were critical for my project, such as DNA and protein purification, immunoprecipitation assays, and in-vitro kinase assay and site-directed mutagenesis to validate phosphorylation of RECQ1. I maintained various normal and breast cancer cell lines, which were treated with different chemotherapeutic agents. These cell lines were then tested in assays such as western blotting and immunofluorescence to confirm the role of RECQ1 in triple negative breast cancer.

Were you involved with any extracurricular activities? How did these support your academic journey?

The extracurricular activity I participated in was tutoring. I became a tutor for the core curriculum taught for all the biomedical science programs. The skills I gained from becoming a tutor have helped me throughout my professional career to mentor interns and other colleagues in different areas of science and research.

What have you been doing since you graduated?

Since I graduated, I've been working in various biotech companies in the Philadelphia area with diverse scientific specialties to expand my professional skill set. Currently, I work at Discovery Life Sciences in Newtown, Pennsylvania, as a senior scientific project manager.

What advice would you give to a future student?

The best advice I can give to a future student comes from my fellow lab member during graduate school: work smart. When you focus on working smart, you also end up working hard - whether that be in the lab, studying for exams, or completing assignments. Developing that mindset and work ethic early on will help you become established in your professional career.