My Interests
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I spent my childhood in the impoverished Appalachia region in North Carolina. As an undergraduate and later as a Master’s student at UNC Greensboro, I began my research in an ecology of infectious disease lab and was quickly introduced to the effects of Leishmaniases infections in impoverished areas of the world. This led to my concern for climate-induced changes in infectious disease distribution and the impact on the impoverished community. These interests led me to pursue my PhD at Virginia Tech studying La Crosse Encephalitis, an emerging disease in Appalachia. I plan to use my knowledge and research gained through my education to help the Appalachia region that I call home.