I am a fifth-year graduate student in UC Davis’ Biological Psychology Graduate Group and I recently joined the Bales Lab. My interests lie within the realm of integrative biology, ecology, neuroendocrinology, and female animal behavior. When not in the lab, I spend my time engaging in outreach, hiking, and playing with my cats.
My Science Journey
From 2014 - 2017 at Palomar Community College, I participated in social justice and student activism regarding many Feminist and Queer issues where I would help host/lead workshops on education of LGBT+ topics, events increasing access to life-necessities like housing and healthcare, and so on. After obtaining my associates degree in Psychology, I transferred to CSUSM and joined the Maternal Behavior and Neuroendocrinology lab ran by Dr. Kimberly D’Anna-Hernandez and shortly after I joined our local SACNAS chapter and the NIH-funded prep program MARC*U-STAR. From 2017 - 2020, I competed in university and state-wide science communication contests, I presented my independent research at numerous local and national scientific conferences (SBN, SfN, etc.), and I participated in science education and mentorship of underprivileged youth in the greater San Diego area. In 2020, I obtained my B.A. in Psychological Science and began my Ph.D. in Biological Psychology at the University of California: Davis, where I’m currently working as a NSF pre-doctoral fellow and graduate student. Since joining UC Davis in 2020, I have continued my exploration of female animal behavior which you can learn more about in the Research tab, but I’ve also continued my passion for mentorship, science outreach/education, and creating spaces for cultural celebration. Because of my Tiwe/Taos Native/Mexican heritage, my existence as a queer scientist, and my experiences as a first-generation college student, I am hugely passionate about infusing culture into my science. To learn more about this, check out my page on outreach.