I earned my Master’s degree in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 2007, following which I conducted research in the field of Clinical Genetics at NorthShore University HealthSystem, an academic medical center North of Chicago. For nearly 10 years, I oversaw multiple observational and clinical screening studies for individuals at high-genetic risk for cancer, was involved in national and international consortia, and was published on many papers. I completed my PhD in Epidemiology in 2023 from the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health. For my dissertation, I assessed the use of polygenic risk scores for coronary heart disease, low density-lipoprotein levels and control using data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.  My work was supported by a T32 training fellowship and an F31 grant funded by the NIH-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. My research interests involve identifying genetic determinants of disease for high-risk populations, analyzing modifiers of disease risk, and discerning prediction and screening tools to lessen the burden of diseases, particularly for populations that have been historically underserved in healthcare and genetic research. I am continuing my work as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the Hayek Lab to elucidate biomarkers and genomic risk factors for cardiovascular disease and in cardio-oncology.