About Me

As an evolutionary biologist, I am interested in exploring extreme mammalian adaptations for insights into organismal features that might become informative targets for repairing and protecting human health. I am currently performing research in the Tabin Lab at Harvard University investigating the evolution of adaptive and diverse morphologies in bats.

 

Research Interests: I received my PhD in Harvard's Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program in the lab of Dr. Arhat Abzhanov. My long-term aim is to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms implicated in the adaptations of extraordinary mammals. My research has examined the evolutionary and molecular mechanisms in which the mammalian face and brain are altered.

 

Higher Education Advocacy: I was born and raised in East Salinas, California. As a first-generation Chicana scholar from an underserved (low-income) community, I am aware of many obstacles students from underrepresented groups face in the sciences, and I help through teaching and mentoring. I did not have special programs during high school or while at UC Davis to help me get to my PhD, but my mentors from college and from my first job after college made the difference. I aim to serve as a role model and mentor to students from diverse backgrounds in their pursuit of higher education.