皇家华人

I am a neuroscience PhD student in Dr. Shyam S. Chaurasia's lab. I hold a BA in psychology from Woodbury University, Burbank, California. During my undergraduate years, I was accepted into UC Davis's Neuroscience Initiative to Enhance Diversity (NIED) fellowship, which solidified my decision to pursue a doctoral degree. For my post-baccalaureate, I had the privilege to work for four years at the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California Irvine (UCI) as a Clinical Research Specialist, Research Technician, and Research Coordinator. At USC, my research looked at understanding lipids' contributions to the development of Alzheimer's disease, specifically the APOE4 allele. At UCI, my training involved detecting commonly displayed patterns of PTSD, TBI, Alzheimer's disease, and CTE using MRI and PET analyses. For my hobbies, I enjoy attending live shows, music discovery, interior design, and volleyball. 

My research project involves early detection of Diabetic Retinopathy pathogenesis in the retina, which is a neurodegenerative and microvascular retinal disorder that causes irreversible blindness. My current research interest seeks to identify the role of S100A9 which is a Danger Associated Molecular Pattern in diabetic retinopathy, as it is associated with stress responses. My long-term research objective is to understand neurodegenerative pathways and study next-generation treatment modalities for Alzheimer's disease that can be translational and accessible to underserved communities.