I earned my PhD in biomedical science from the University of New Mexico, where I studied how immune molecules found in multiple sclerosis manipulate the defenses of spinal cord cells. I have also studied how to make synthetic biological membranes at Los Alamos National Laboratory and how neurotransmitters affect cell signaling in pond snail brains at Bates College in Maine. I am currently working on my science communication skills while searching for the next step in my career.