I am from Atlanta, GA USA and have always had a passion for the ocean and marine life. I recently graduated from the University of Miami with a BS in Marine Science and Biology and minors in Chemistry and German. My first research experience as an undergraduate was working as an intern with the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) in Little Cayman, Cayman Islands studying coral reef ecology and invasive lionfish. At the University of Miami I worked as an intern for the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program tagging and collecting data on local shark populations. Through this program, I was able to conduct my own senior thesis project to develop a methodology for isolating an inflammatory protein, CRP, from shark serum to assess immune health. I am excited to be working with KAUST and the Reef Genomics Lab to further my interests in marine science and immunology.