My interest in cancer research began early in life. Having family members who were influenced by the disease and being a scientifically curious individual motivated me to become the scientist that I am today. Fast forward to 2021, my research interests involve 1) understanding the process of immune tolerance in the context of tumor biology, 2) evaluating the role of systemic factors (e.g. sex, age, etc) in tumor immunity, and 3) translating novel biological mechanisms to develop more promising cancer therapy.
I completed BSc at McMaster University where I developed an early passion for immunology. To synergize my interests in fundamental immunology and cancer medicine, I completed my MSc and PhD at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Pamela Ohashi and mentorship from Drs. Tak Mak and Naoto Hirano. My doctoral research focused on 1) understanding how CD8+ and CD4+ T cells can be rendered resistant to suppression by regulatory T cells, and 2) applying the knowledge to improve adoptive T cell therapy against solid tumors. I am an incoming post-doctoral fellow in Drs. Arlene Sharpe and Marcia Haigis labs at Harvard University. My career objectives involve 1) further bridging the gap between basic, translational and clinical research, 2) mentoring and supporting next-generation researchers and 3) bridging the gaps between academia and industry to accelerate biomedical innovations.
I am honored and excited to have been elected to the AACR Associate Member Council (AMC) and represent a diverse pool of early-career scientists. I look forward to collaborating with the committee members to build a strong community of young scientists in AACR.