Humans are the most adaptable species ever known. Despite not being the strongest, fastest, or hardiest specimens on Earth, humans have spread to almost every landscape on this planet, and even maintained a constant presence off the planet since the year 2000. What has enabled us to be so dynamically adaptable? 

My fascination with human adaptability began at Duke University during my undergraduate studies and led me to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego, where I research how humans have adapted to one of the harshest environments–high altitude. The human body is incredibly strained at higher elevations due to less available oxygen, yet given time, the body can adjust and acclimatize. My research focuses on the biological processes involved in the human response to high altitude and low oxygen, ranging from genetic approaches that study populations that have lived at high altitude for hundreds of generations to physiological investigations into how to improve performance in low oxygen environments. 

My dissertation has taken me to the highlands of the Andes and Nepal to leading a preliminary clinical trial in the White Mountains of California. My goal is to expand the skillset I have acquired to understand how humans adapt, adjust, and perform in extreme environments.  

My role as a researcher is complemented by my leadership experience in the US Army Reserves. I am currently the Innovation Engagement Officer for Synthetic Biology within the 75th Innovation Command and previously served as a Platoon Leader and Medevac Pilot. During a deployment to the Middle East in 2021-2022, I oversaw Medevac operations in various demanding environments while piloting Black Hawk helicopters.