My research focuses on understanding the effects of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and repair on the function and atrophy of associated muscles. I am using a rat sciatic nerve injury model to investigate the effectiveness of clinical and preclinical nerve repair technologies at
restoring adequate muscle mass and function to the lower hindlimb muscles. Prior to attending UVA, I earned my B.S. in materials science and engineering at Johns Hopkins University. While at JHU, I used calcium alginate hydrogels to investigate the effects of substrate mechanical properties on cell proliferation.
Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking and baking new dishes; I often find myself searching our local bookstores for new cookbooks or our farmer’s markets for fun ingredients. I also enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy novels, playing video games with my friends, and trying new restaurants.