I’m an Associate Professor of Biology at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, IL. I mainly teach classes in general biology, genetics, and scientific writing. My research focuses on the role of DNA repair proteins in protecting against DNA damage caused by the environment using Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) as a model.

I received my BS from the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan (2002) and my PhD in Molecular and Environmental Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2010). I also completed an IRACDA postdoctoral fellowship at Tufts University in 2014.