I grew up in a small town in South Jersey, and have lived there my entire life. Since I live so close to the city, and have grown to love it, I have remained in the area for my education. I attended Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, where I earned a Bachelors Degree in Biology and began to pursue my interest in microbiology. While at Saint Joseph’s, I became involved in a bacteriology research lab and worked there for almost the entire duration of my attendance. This became the focus of my education. Microbiology has always been a serious interest of mine. It was this experience that convinced me that research is my passion and taking the next step and obtaining a Ph.D. was only natural. After earning my Ph.D., I plan on continuing in biomedical research and plan to pursue a career as an independent researcher. When I am not in the lab, I like to relax by cooking and reading. I try to get to the Jersey Shore as often as I can since I am a beach bum at heart and love the sun and sand.