Biography
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Pediatric Neuromodulation Lab at the Waisman Center, where I contribute to the Perinatal Stroke: Longitudinal Assessment of Infant Brain Organization and Recovery project. I earned my B.S. in Neuroscience from Christopher Newport University in 2019 and my Ph.D. in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health from Virginia Tech in 2026. My research focuses on understanding how the developing brain supports motor development and reorganizes following early brain injury. My previous work used multimodal neuroimaging approaches, including optically pumped magnetometer magnetoencephalography (OPM-MEG) and resting-state functional MRI, to investigate brain function and motor development in infants at risk for neuromotor impairments. Building on this work, my current research combines transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with advanced MRI methods to investigate the development and reorganization of motor pathways following perinatal stroke.
I am motivated by the opportunity to work alongside children and their families and to conduct research that can meaningfully improve their care. Ultimately, I hope my work can help translate advances in neuroscience into better tools, interventions, and outcomes for children with early brain injuries and neuromotor impairments.