Scholar Profile

Voted Most Likely To:
do better than you'd think!

Graduated:
University of California, Davis, Class of 2000

Currently Working As:
Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

What do you love about your job?
I am a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. While I love making new discoveries in the lab, the absolute greatest part of my career is mentoring younger scientists. I've had amazing mentors during my career, and I hope I can repaid that debt ten-fold.

What has been the most exciting part of your career so far?
For me, I get the most excited when my students and postdocs get their manuscripts accepted for publication. Its the culmination of years of hard work, and many written drafts to relay the scientific story. I feel very proud of my team when this happens.

What would you tell yourself at age 18?
Network with as many people at all levels (i.e. faculty, scientists, students, etc.) as you can. Science is a small world and you'd be surprised how this can come back to help you.

How has ACS Scholars impacted your life and career?
The ACS Scholars Program/scholarship was the first major honor I received as an undergraduate. This program instilled in me great confidence that I could make an impact in anything I attempted in my life. This program started to get me really thinking about continuing my education through obtaining a PhD and I believe was a great catalyst in my academic career.