Please tell us a little about yourself:

I am an early-career microbiologist and a proud woman in STEM interested in infectious disease research and public health. I am passionate about science communication and disseminating awareness of microbial pathogens to enhance disease prevention efforts. Additionally, I am enthusiastic about health advocacy and empowerment of women and other underrepresented gender minorities.

What piqued your interest in research? 

I have always been a curious person, especially when it comes to microorganisms. I first became interested in microbiology when I learned about single-celled organisms in my 6th grade science class. Coming from a family of many health and medical professionals, I have found disease-causing organisms to be particularly interesting. I think the concept that something microscopically small can have such an enourmous impact on us as individuals and together as a society, is incredibly fascinating. Thus, I immersed myself in the world of researching microbial pathogens, including group B strep (GBS)!

How did you become specifically interested in group B strep?

I first learned of GBS through Dr. Shannon Manning when interviewing for the Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Ph.D. program at Michigan State University. GBS in the context of pregnancy was particularly interesting to me as I am also passionate about women's health advocacy. The more I learned about GBS, the more interesting it became, as it is such a diverse species, affecting a wide range of hosts resulting in a multitude of adverse outcomes.

Has anything surprising or humorous happened while conducting your research?

Through my research as well as my involvement in science outreach organizations and programs, I was mostly surprised by the number of people throughout my community who have not heard of GBS. From my discussions with local individuals, I found that many lacked awareness and understanding of GBS unless they had been personally affected. These realizations motivated me into having more of these discussions to spread awareness of GBS and to disseminate informational resources throughout the expectant-parent community, in hopes to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes. 

What lesson or advice would you give your younger self when you initially got into research?

If I could give advice to my younger self when starting my research journey, I would encourage myself to be patient, as learning new techniques and skills takes time, and to not hesitate to ask more questions and stay curious, as that is the true essence of scientific research. I would also tell myself to embrace the unexpected results and opportunities, because those are often the most rewarding and exciting ones. 

What recent project have you been working on that you’d like to share with us?

I recently defended my Ph.D. in microbiology at Michigan State University where I explored the impact of antibiotics on clinical GBS isolates. My disseratation consisted of two main projects focusing on examining the impact of intrapartum anitbiotic prophylaxis on the genomic evolution of persistent GBS isolates by employing whole genome sequencing analysis on isolates obtained from the vaginal tracts of pregnant individuals before and after antibiotic prophylaxis, and on the biogenesis of membrane vesicles by evaluating both the quantity and composition of vesicles produced by antibiotic-exposed GBS that persistently colonized the vaginal tract of a pregnant person. 

Tell us about your role in this study/project: 

The aforementioned projects were designed and conducted during my time as a graduate student under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Manning. I was the primary researcher for each of these projects with assistance and guidance from other members of the Manning lab as well as external collaborators. 

What are your research goals for GBS disease prevention?

My goals for GBS disease prevention are to increase awareness of Group B Strep by continuing to have discussions about not only GBS as a microorganism, but also the serious outcomes and public health implications caused by GBS. It is my hope that the more we can disseminate the exciting and ground-breaking discoveries from the GBS research community to the general public community, the more lives we can save, as knowledge is power!