Hometown: Sandy Hook, CT

Before the U: I started as a technician in Dan Tenen’s lab at Harvard Medical School after graduating college - I did this for 2 wonderful years, and then moved on to a technician position at MSKCC with Steve Nimer for another 2 years. I knew I wanted to get a Ph.D. all along, but loved my tech jobs so much I tech’ed for 2x longer than originally planned! In 2008 I moved to Atlanta to start my Ph.D. training at Emory University with Jing Chen, who is now at the University of Chicago. I graduated in 2013 and moved back to Boston for my postdoctoral training with Ann Mullally at Harvard. I started my independent lab in 2019 at the University of Chicago, and moved my lab to the U in 2023!

Advice to grad students: First, make sure you really love what you do, and if you don’t, change course. Life is too short to spend your days doing work that drains you. Second, choose your lab and your mentor with intention, and not just based on who seems popular at the time. A supportive mentor can elevate your science, your confidence, and your entire career trajectory. A bad mentor will do the opposite. Don’t stay in a negative situation just because you’ve already invested time. It’s completely ok to switch labs, even late in the game, if you dread coming to work every day and interacting with your mentor. Finally, don’t internalize the failure that comes with research. Rejection, failed experiments, and dead ends are not verdicts on your ability or your future career. This is a long career that ebbs and flows, and setbacks are inevitable. When things slow down or feel like they’re falling apart, take extra good care of yourself - step away for a bit, rest, eat good food, find your peace, ground yourself in things that bring you joy. And if it fits your life, get a dog!