I performed my thesis research in the lab of Dr. David Rawlings at Seattle Children's Research Institute, where I studied IL-7R signaling pathway mutations and their role in early B cell development and leukemogenesis. As part of this work, I developed novel genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) of B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

I provided general research support for an immunology lab that focuses its study on the functional specialization and the homing and homeostasis of regulatory T cells. Additionally, I maintained the lab's mouse colony and acted as lab manager. My main research project involved investigating a role for the transcription factor Foxo1 in the regulation of CCR7 and CD62L expression in Treg subsets.

• Sequenced the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b for approximately 50 morphologically distinct soft coral species and generated a phylogenetic tree from the aligned sequence data. • Determined there was insufficient variability within the gene region for it to be a suitable candidate for a molecular “barcode” that would genetically distinguish between soft coral families.