Reasons For Running
A growing body of literature has demonstrated that health and disease of the oral cavity is not localized only to the oral cavity; rather, the disease state of the oral cavity has broader implications and is directly linked to systemic health. As a microbiology PhD student, I have a great appreciation for the oral microbiome and its roles in contributing to systemic health. Thus, I firmly believe that oral and craniofacial research should be as collaborative and interdisciplinary as possible. Therefore, I have forged strong relationships with dental students and faculty in the UAB school of dentistry, and these collaborations have been extremely fruitful. As a member of the NSRG for several years, I have promoted opportunities for interdisciplinary connections—pre-dental students, dental students, graduate students, and post-docs can all benefit from teaching and learning from one another. One example of my effort was leading the NIH F30/F31/F32 grant Zoom Session with NSRG officers. Utilizing my experiences, I would like to actively recruit graduate student members and encourage their participation. I would like to host Zoom workshops covering topics including identifying research mentors, postdoctoral opportunities, oral and poster presentations, and paper writing. This way, I could strengthen the interdisciplinary connections among members, AADOCR, and the community at large.
Research Conducted / Student Activities
My research focuses on how oral-commensal derived reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) influence microbial community dynamics in both the oral cavity and in the airways. Some oral commensals have been shown to colonize the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung and are associated with improved lung function. My lab has demonstrated that RNI derived from the oral commensal Streptococcus parasanguinis can inhibit oral pathogens such as Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis as well as the respiratory pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. My project has elucidated the following: 1) mechanisms through which P. aeruginosa may tolerate RNI and differences in RNI sensitivity between CF and non-CF isolates of P. aeruginosa, 2) immune-modulatory activity of S. parasanguinis wherein the inflammatory response to P. aeruginosa is down-regulated, and 3) regulation of S. parasanguinis physiology by nitrite.
Service:
UAB School of Dentistry Student Research Group, Elected Legislative Liaison 2022-present
UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences Outreach (GBSO), Elected Secretary 2021-2022
Scientists Serving Society / UAB GBSO, Elected Chair 2020-2021
UAB Microbiology Theme Admissions Committee Student Representative 2020-2021
Graduate Student Government, Senator 2019-2020
Awards:
NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein F31 Predoctoral Individual National Research 2022-present
Service Award
