Food has been an interest, passion and career goal of mine since my introduction to the topic of food science through the National FFA Organization when I was a high school student. I was immediately fascinated by the challenges and importance of the field due to one simple fact- "everyone eats".
My primary research interest is the interface between food and health, and understanding ways in which naturally occurring compounds can interact with other components of food, affecting both digestibility of the food and bioactivity of the given compounds. My dissertation focused specifically on the role that these interactions may play in food intolerances and allergies. As of August 2017, I have been working as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology at Rutgers as a part of a NIH T32 training program with the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health focused on botanical interventions for metabolic syndrome. The research goal of my new laboratory at Colorado State is to develop explore and develop nutraceutical therapies for chronic diseases of the human gut using novel processing techniques for plant-based foods. I believe that advancement of agricultural and health sciences absolutely requires motivated and dynamic individuals who are enthusiastic about the production and dissemination of knowledge. I strive to make use of a diverse set of technical skills and find opportunities to teach and mentor others through formal course instruction, lab assistance and even things as simple as written and oral communication with non-scientists. |
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