Training the next generation of scientists at a small university
I am an Associate Professor of Biology at Northeastern Illinois University, which is a teaching-intensive regional comprehensive university in Chicago, IL. My research asks questions about the role of DNA repair proteins in protecting against DNA damage, specifically damage caused by toxins, metabolic byproducts, and circadian disruption. To do this, we use Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) that are deficient in DNA repair proteins.
I’m passionate about teaching and mentoring students in learning how to be scientists. Therefore, NEIU is the perfect place for me because I can introduce students to research in both the classroom and my laboratory. NEIU is also classified as a Minority Serving Institute (MSI) and I love being able to reach populations of students traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. I also get to flex my mentoring interests as co-chair of the Education, Student, and New Investigator Affairs committee in my professional society, the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomic Society (EMGS).
To learn more about my current projects, click on the links below: