I received my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas, then went on to work in the lab of Virginia Pascual at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research. It was here that I developed an interest in autoimmune research. After, I received an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowship to work for the CDC in the Laboratory Response Network working on Chemical Weapons Method Development. From there I attended the University of Oklahoma and received my PhD in the Fall of 2019 in Biochemistry and Chemistry. During my PhD training, I investigated the role of ARID3A and its contribution to increased disease activity in SLE patients. As a new postdoc in the Gaffney lab, I plan on continuing investigations into risk allele haplotypes in SLE using the MPRA assay.