Background

I am a Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University with Professor Warren Grill. At Duke, I use computational and experimental methods to investigate the use of high-frequency stimulation for nerve block.

I completed my PhD at the University of Pittsburgh, where I worked with Professor Robert Gaunt. There, I studied epidural spinal cord stimulation for lower urinary tract control. I conducted anesthetized and behaving experiments to determine the relationship of neural recruitment to stimulation-evoked bladder function. I also built computational models to investigate that neural recruitment at the spinal cord. I received an NDSEG Fellowship to carry out this work.

Prior to graduate school, I worked as a Research Technician at Northwestern University with Professors Lee Miller and Matthew Tresch. I studied functional electrical stimulation to restore locomotion after spinal cord injury, and as a part of that work I used motion tracking, recorded brain signals from the motor cortex of rats, and recorded and stimulated muscle activity.

I graduated from Goshen College Summa Cum Laude in 2015 with a major in Physics and minors in Mathematics, Informatics, and Visual Art.

Outside of lab, I enjoy making ceramics, glassblowing, rock climbing, and dance.

Research Interests

Broadly, I am interested in neural stimulation and rehabilitation of sensorimotor systems. My highest research priority is to develop new tools with electrophysiology for clinical use. I am additionally interested in the neural processes underlying changes in motor outcomes resulting from conscious mechanisms such as attention, volitional control, and learning. I think it's critical as researchers to listen to people's lived experiences in order to motivate areas of research focus.