I currently study social insect behavior, development and gene regulation. I use molecular biology and bioinformatics tools, and work with genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic data. My research projects examine the gene regulatory processes that underlie phenotypic and behavioral variation in a model social insect species, the honey bee (Apis mellifera). I am completing the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences PhD program at Penn State University, advised by Drs. Christina Grozinger, Michael Axtell, Shaun Mahony, Heather Hines, and Amro Zayed (York University - Toronto, Canada). I also write bioinformatics software and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in bioinformatics, data analysis, and molecular biology. I plan to defend my thesis on “Molecular Mechanisms of Phenotypic Variation in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)” in 2024, and am seeking post-doctoral and industry research positions. See my resume for more details.