The most rewarding part of my research experience is that for the first time in my undergraduate career I was able to be the producer of knowledge. I learned first hand about the value of hard work and diligence it takes to enable advancements in my field of study.

The most gratifying part is getting to experience other people’s passions for science and being able to share my own.

Mutations, or changes in the DNA can have a variety of both negative and positive implications depending on the context. For bacteria, a little genome flexibility under stressful conditions can go a long way. My research seeks to elucidate a mechanism that allows bacteria to bias mutations to key regions in the genome where mutations might be beneficial under stress while maintaining whole genome integrity.