Emory University School of Medicine
Since 2009, I have pursued studies of basic and translational human pulmonary disease. At the beginning of my scientific career, I characterized adaptive metabolic strategies by which Pseudomonas aeruginosa establishes chronic infections in the lungs of immunocompromised patients. As a predoctoral student, I utilized high-throughput yeast phenomics to discover new gene modifiers of protein synthesis and elucidated, for the first time, effects of ribosomal perturbation on synthesis, trafficking, and activity of the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene product, CFTR. During postdoctoral fellowship, I measured alterations in global and transcript-specific (e.g. CFTR) translation kinetics following suppression of ribosomal components. As a tenure-track Assistant Professor, my research program employs interdisciplinary approaches in biochemistry, cellular physiology, and functional genomics to better delineate genetic factors that influence severity of disease-causing mutations. Emphasis is placed on rare CFTR variants refractory to correction by clinically approved small molecules, particularly premature termination codons (PTCs, or "nonsense" variants).
With prior K99/R00 funding and now R01 support, my group has shown that specific ribosomal proteins are important mediators of CFTR molecular phenotype. We have performed cutting-edge investigations that: (1) quantify changes (with single codon resolution) to ribosomal assembly, translation speed, and mRNA utilization; (2) advance new assays which measure polytopic protein folding, trafficking, and activity; (3) improve culture methods of primary human nasal and bronchial cells for studies of airway physiology; (4) generate mice with ribosomal gene disruption for in vivo assessments; and (5) develop novel compounds and nucleotide-based interventions designed to rescue missense and nonsense variants. Invitations to discuss my work include talks at international Gordon Research Conferences, NIH Workshops, Ribosome Conferences, North American CF Conferences, European CF Society Conferences, U.S. CF Foundation (CFF) Research Conferences, and more. Findings have been well-received and resulted in my appointment to advisory councils for the U.S. National CF Foundation (e.g. Guidelines Steering Committee, Guidelines Committee for CRMS/CFSPID, Guidelines Committee for Unique Diagnosis) and Georgia Department of Public Health (e.g. Newborn Screening CF Subcommittee).
In addition to rigorous research, I participate in civic and science-based outreach activities, many of which are motivated by my experience as mother to a young child with CF. While at UAB, I served as the CF Research Center’s Team Leader for the Alabama Chapter Great Strides walk, two-time Presenting Scholar for the community seminar series “Discoveries In The Making,” and President of Graduate Biomedical Student Outreach. For efforts such as these, I received the "2016 UAB Community Impact Award," an honor given annually to an outstanding undergraduate, graduate, or professional student (including ~19,000 eligible candidates at the University). After moving to Emory, I participated in the CFF Georgia Chapter Tomorrow's Leaders Program, “Wish for Wendy” softball tournament, and Atlanta Great Strides. Due to my strong passion for empowering the next generation of women in STEM, I also founded the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Georgia Chapter. Under my leadership, this organization received the "2021 National AWIS Innovative Outreach Award," distinguished among 30+ AWIS chapters across the United States.
Junior Investigators: Top 10 Poster Judging
Thursday, October 8, 2026
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM EDT
Basic Science Junior Investigator Competition
Friday, October 9, 2026
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM EDT