I was born and raised in Port Chester, NY, and received my B.S. in biology and A.B. in religion from Duke University. I completed my doctoral training in developmental and stem cell biology and earned my PhD from Duke University, where I investigated how cells in a complex adult tissue coordinately regenerate a patterned structure after injury, primarily using the adult zebrafish fin as a model. I next did my postdoctoral training in the Department of Genetics at Yale School of Medicine, this time using embryonic and larval zebrafish (more info below). Integral to my scientific contributions and philosophies are mentoring, multilingual community engagement, and efforts that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in science. Beyond my professional commitments, I enjoy traveling, playing volleyball and tennis, and spending time in nature with her dog. I am thrilled to start my faculty career through UCLA’s Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Infrastructure Initiative in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology and the Institute for Society and Genetics.