Research

Basic Science

I rotated in two basic science research labs in the Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences at Tuskegee University. The areas of biology included genetics, immunology and cardiovascular physiology. While rotating in these labs, I acquired technical skills in wet lab techniques (e.g. protein assays, cell cultivation, tissue extractions), immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and disease modeling using murine models (e.g. lupus-prone mice). From these lab rotation experiences, I gained valuable knowledge on the role and importance of molecular genetics, immunology and  physiology in disease pathology and its implications for biomedical research in health disparities.

Applied Public Health Science

Public health at its nucleus is charged with protecting the population's health. I have accumulated extensive experiences and leadership roles in public health beginning with my graduate tenure in the Master of Public Health Program at Morehouse School of Medicine to my current status as an Integrative Biosciences PhD Candidate at Tuskegee University. I am completing my doctoral work in The National Center for Bioethics in Research and Healthcare at Tuskegee, the first presidentially mandated bioethics center in the United States. The National Center for Bioethics in Research and Healthcare at Tuskegee was presidentially mandated by 42nd President, William "Bill" Jefferson Clinton. On May 16, 1997 in the East Wing of the White House, President Clinton on the behalf of the U.S. government apologized to the surviving men (eight at the time) and descendant family members of the USPHS Syphilis Study at Tuskegee for the wrongdoing of the United States government. My research interests are in the context of environmental justice, food security, and health.