Hometown: Port St. John, FL
Year I became a Gator: 2010
Department: Applied Physiology and Kinesiology
Mentor: Thomas Clanton, PhD
Research focus: My research explores the role of skeletal muscle in the innate response to infection, particularly in sepsis.
What drives me: I’m primarily driven by my experience as a staff member for Streetlight at UF Health, in which I had the opportunity to interact with and befriend many young patients living with cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and various forms of cancer. Getting to know patients and their families on a human level not only helped me understand the importance of clinical research for new treatments, but also how important it is to value patient identity and dignity when developing and maintaining such treatments. I’m very excited to find ways to improve the lives of people and their families who are like the ones I’ve met in the past.
What I like most about the BREATHE Training Program: I’m very new to the program, but so far the CoBAD seminar series has been great.
What I like about Gainesville: It’s very close to a handful of Florida springs.
Why I chose BREATHE at the University of Florida: The training and mentoring offered by the BREATHE program is an incredible foundation for a career related to respiratory function, patient care, and effective research in general. I’m very excited to learn more about the physiology behind breathing and airway defense, and how to integrate that into new experiments and projects moving forward.
What I do for fun: I love to play the steel drum in my spare time.