Environmental Science & Chemistry
My highschool tennis team played on the courts where the US Open is held.
I have wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. I was the kid asking for crutches for my birthday and putting Band-Aids on my dolls. As I got older, I was enthralled by my science classes and fascinated by the human body. My research in high school gave me a taste of the innovation and discovery that drives modern research and medical advancements. I felt an extraordinary calling when I started interacting with patients on a more personal level through shadowing and volunteering at Duke Hospital. When patients come to me at their most vulnerable, I want to be a doctor that not only heals, but also connects.
Medicine is my first passion, but the environment is a close second. I am driven to understand how environmental factors impact human health so that we can improve disease prevention. At Duke, I got to explore this interplay when I began research at the Liping Feng lab, which looks at the effects of PFAS, a class of common toxic pollutants, on human health. Specifically, my project studies how PFAS affects mitochondrial function in placental stem cells. Through this research, I hope to enhance our understanding of the ways in which environmental exposures affect human health and eventually inform policy decisions on the regulation of these chemicals.
Outside of the lab and the classroom, I am an orientation leader for Project Waves and a student coach for the ASCEND Program. I am also a tutor for FEMMES+ Connect and GANO, a student-run organization that offers free individual English as a Second Language tutoring to Spanish-speaking adults in Durham, NC. In my free time, I enjoy playing tennis, cooking, and hiking.
I love the close-knit community of SPIRE and the many opportunities for mentorship, academic counseling, and professional engagement. SPIRE helps me feel comfortable exploring my passions and taking risks because I am surrounded by a group of people that shares the same love for learning and exploration. Each SPIRE fellow brings a unique perspective that enriches my Duke experience and encourages open-mindedness and empathy.
