Research

Stanford School of Medicine

Investigating interactions between the NLRP3 inflammasome, which is implicated in Alzheimer's disease, and the human peptide LL-37 through complementary computational and laboratory research.

• Use protein docking, structural modeling, and AI-assisted analysis to identify potential binding sites and evaluate candidate domains of NLRP3.
• Conduct laboratory experiments that complement and help test computational findings.
• Map Alzheimer's-associated genes in collaboration with Dr. James J. Truchard and Benjamin Gustafsson.

UCI School of Medicine

Conducting a literature review of candidate genes identified through preliminary screening for potential associations with neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy.

• Synthesize published evidence linking prioritized genes to disease and assess the strength of each reported association.
• Summarize disease phenotypes, inheritance patterns, molecular mechanisms, and key references for each candidate gene.
• Use Linux/Bash and R to organize and analyze candidate-gene data and support the literature-review workflow.

UCR Department of Psychology

Examining how chronic occupational stress may dysregulate the HPA axis and affect inflammation, brain connectivity, cognitive performance, learning, memory, and daily functioning.

• Compare acute and chronic occupational stress and review their long-term neurological and physiological effects in high-stress professions.
• Evaluate current wellness and mindfulness interventions, including limitations in the evidence for restoring healthy HPA-axis regulation.
• Investigate lifelong learning as a potential intervention for supporting cognitive function and healthy aging while identifying priorities for future research.

UCSC Science Internship Program

Selected for UCSC SIP project CPM-07, mentored by Alexander Sherbrooke with faculty advisor David Lee. I explored how generative AI can help hackathon participants form teams, create project ideas, and connect through personalized activities.

• Helped build a chatbot for Blossom, a platform that uses human bingo to help people connect at events.
• Designed AI-generated icebreaker and bonding activities from pre-event survey responses.
• Researched group ideation, prompt engineering, and activity design for collaborative events.

Healthcare Internship

Shadowed oncologist Dr. Bao Dao for two years and learned about oncology practices such as patient consultations, reviewing imaging and lab results, discussing treatment plans, understanding chemotherapy and radiation care, and observing how physicians communicate with patients and families.

Hospital Volunteering

Volunteered at Pomona Valley Hospital for four years, gaining experience through direct patient interactions, patient support, communication with hospital staff, and helping create a more welcoming and compassionate care environment.