Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
I am a trained cell biologist with multidisciplinary experience in immunology, biochemistry, and molecular imaging. My expertise lies in elucidating ligand-receptor and cell-cell interaction mechanisms and applying them to the rational design of imaging agents. Currently, I serve as an instructor at the Biophotonics Research Center in the Department of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine. My research focuses on developing novel theranostic agents for imaging and treating multiple myeloma. I led a project within the Center for Multiple Myeloma Nanotechnology (CMMN) to apply Cherenkov radiation-induced therapy (CRIT) in preclinical models of multiple myeloma. This work included investigating CRIT-induced cell death mechanisms using proteomics. I also specialize in creating in vitro and in vivo models specifically tailored for studying aspects of tracer development. My combined background in mechanistic cell biology and molecular imaging will bring valuable insight and innovation to this project.