Research Interests
Next-Generation Molecular Sensors
My doctoral research focuses on designing the next generation of ultra-stable implantable and environmental sensors, as well as new sensor archetypes for continuous molecular measurement. I study how molecular recognition, surface chemistry, and biocompatible interfaces determine long-term performance in complex environments. I am also interested in how electrochemical interrogation and signal transduction convert molecular events into stable, interpretable measurements.
Multimodal Neuropsychopharmacology
At Stanford School of Medicine, I led the preclinical arm of a translational study asking whether psychedelic drug effects remain measurable during general anesthesia. I developed a dual EEG–fiber photometry preparation and analysis pipelines that connected receptor engagement with brain drug concentrations and mouse and human EEG. This work left me with a deeper question: what does it mean to measure experience, and can the brain's electrical activity reveal an internal state independent of the drug used to produce it?
Neural Circuits, Imaging, and Behavior
At the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, I combined chemogenetics, pharmacology, and behavioral analysis to identify a ventral hippocampus–amygdala pathway required for synchronized fear in mice, providing a circuit-level view of how organisms coordinate under threat. At the National Institute of Mental Health, I used awake two-photon imaging and automated facial analysis to track how arbitrary stimuli become imbued with meaning through learning.
Research Vision
I want to build tools that connect molecular events, physiological signals, neural activity, and behavior. My central question is whether a changing signal reflects biology, its environment, or the measurement itself.