Hometown: St. Johns, FL
Year I became a Gator: 2023
Department: Physiology and Aging
Mentor: Russell Hepple, PhD
Research focus: My research focus is in attenuating muscle atrophy in cancer cachexia via specifically targeting the mitochondrial permeability transition in skeletal muscle with a goal to improve the quality of life in these patients.
What drives me: I’m driven by a need to challenge myself as well as my general love of learning. Challenges can provide new avenues of thinking and exploration, which I find exciting.
What I like most about the BREATHE Training Program: I like that the BREATHE program fosters collaboration with others from different areas of study. I’m excited to be around a great group of researchers and I am excited to collaborate with them!
What I like about Gainesville: UF and Gainesville hold a very special place in my heart. Both my parents attended UF, so I’ve been coming here since I was 5 years old! What I like about Gainesville is that it’s a smaller town and everything I need is relatively close by.
Why I chose BREATHE at the University of Florida: Cancer cachexia is responsible for 20-30% of cancer deaths, mostly due to cardiac and respiratory failure. I chose BREATHE because I wanted to better understand the mechanisms of the respiratory system, especially the diaphragm, as it atrophies significantly in patients with cancer cachexia.
What makes the BREATHE Training Program unique? What’s unique about the BREATHE program is the numerous opportunities for collaboration with people from different fields of study. The translational aspect of this program is also unique in that basic scientists are exposed to the clinical side of research from the start.
What I do for fun: I enjoy spending my free time with my friends, family, and my dog Bella. I love tv and movies so I’m always finding new things to watch. I also find it fun to build and collect Lego sets from my favorite shows and movies.