About Me

I’m a microbiologist passionate about applying advanced qPCR techniques, computational biology, and high-throughput sequencing to better understand and mitigate foodborne pathogens in agricultural environments. My research bridges field sampling, lab experimentation, and data science to support evidence-based strategies for precision animal health.

I earned my degrees in Molecular Biology and Environmental Engineering, and completed postdoctoral training at both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the University of Notre Dame, experiences that deepened my passion for research and collaboration. Throughout my career, I’ve found the most rewarding work happens in interdisciplinary, team-based environments.

Before joining UTK, I worked at the USDA-ARS, U.S. National Poultry Research Center, where I led projects on Salmonella surveillance, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, and microbiome dynamics in poultry production systems.

My long-term goal is to develop scalable, field-deployable tools for animal health monitoring, particularly those integrating duplex qPCR, bioinformatics, and statistical analyses. I’m especially excited to collaborate with students in UTIA who are eager to apply quantitative thinking and molecular tools to advance livestock health and food safety!

Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, spending time with my family, and cheering for Argentina’s soccer team.