Professional Passions

As a researcher, I’m excited about utilizing computational methods to model the many configuration of DNA. My masters and doctoral research works focus on using an elastic energy minimization scheme to generate and analyze models. I hope to expand to molecular dynamic simulation work to add a new level of critical understanding to this world. In particular, models and simulations of circular DNA, where the ends of DNA are closed together. Circular forms of DNA have been found to exist in a wide range of biological systems, most recently seen in cancer cells. My current focus is on architectural protein interactions with DNA, but I hope to transition into cancer DNA dynamics, immunological responses, and viral DNA modeling.

As a 21st century scientist, it is not enough to merely research but to communicate and educate. I am passionate about post-secondary education and hope to continue as a collegiate-level instructor in both advanced topics like biophysics and biophysical chemistry and as an introductory-level instructor. Ask any scientist and most will say they found inspiration from an instructor at some introductory level. I want to improve what it means to be a modern scientist by developing courses on the history of science and the art of scientific communication. In particular, if we “stand on the shoulders of giants” we need to have a better idea as to who they all are, which include the Black American scientists, our non-Eurocentric scientists, and our female-identifying scientists of our past and present.

I want anyone who wishes to pursue the sciences to do so- regardless of race, religion, age, gender expression, sexuality, and income level. There are numerous barriers that prevent a large number of people from pursuing the sciences and I aim to reduce as many as I possibly can. As someone with an intersectional identity, I’ve seen first hand the number of barriers that one may experience while also acknowledging how my own privileges have made overcoming said barriers not as difficult by comparison. We need new thinkers, new dreamers, new problem solvers to best answer the challenges facing our world and I am excited at the prospects to both contribute my own answers and help others with their own. By raising up others, we all improve.

If you, like me, want to build up communities, consider visiting some of my favorite organizations, including:
Black Girls Code (www.blackgirlscode.com)
Skype A Scientist (www.skypeascientist.com)
500 Queer Scientists (500queerscientists.com)
Diversify Chemistry (diversifychemistry.com), along with #BlackInChem and #BlackInCompBio