Research Interests
My research focuses on advancing RNA-based therapeutics and understanding the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in disease. I am particularly passionate about translational research—bridging the gap between bench and bedside—by targeting RNAs and engineering RNA-based therapies to treat inflammatory and rare diseases.
I am also deeply interested in deciphering the mechanisms by which small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) influence disease states. My current projects include exploring how RPL13a snoRNAs regulate oxidative stress, and metabolic inflammation, with the ultimate goal of developing first-in-class antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics. I am also working on predicting, capturing, and validating novel snoRNA interactions with transcripts that could inform on their unknown functions, expanding our understanding of snoRNA biology and their potential roles in health and disease. I further aspire to expand on detection of non-coding RNAs in clinical samples and linking them to disease progression, enabling more precise diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Through these activities, I strive to uncover how RNA-targeting therapies can address unmet clinical needs, particularly in diseases such as atherosclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, and others. As a scientist, I am driven by the opportunity to connect fundamental discoveries with clinical applications, and I value fostering collaboration and mentoring the next generation of researchers in RNA biology and therapeutics.
Selected Grants
IND-enabling studies for an RNA therapeutic to treat atherosclerosis
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Department of Defense · 2024 - 2028Targeting snoRNAs to Treat Atherosclerosis
ResearchSenior Scientist · Awarded by UH Harrington Discovery Institute · 2024 - 2026Mechanisms by which Small Nucleolar RNAs Exacerbate Atherosclerosis
ResearchPostdoc Scholar · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2026SnoRNA-guided modifications of mRNA
ResearchSr. Res. Assoc. · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2024Role of RNA modifications in heart failure
ResearchResearch Associate · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2024Silencing small nucleolar RNAs with antisense oligonucleotides for treatment of atherosclerosis
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2022 - 2024Mass Spectrometric Screening of the Effect of Chemical Toxicants on the Human Epitranscriptome during Stem Cell Differentiation
ResearchPostdoctoral Associate · Awarded by Athghin Biotechnology, Inc · 2017 - 2018Role of snoRNAs in regulation of cardiac hypertrophy
ResearchPostdoctoral Associate · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2016 - 2018Bioactive sphingolipid signaling in cardiomyocyte mitophagy
FellowshipCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by American Heart Association · 2016 - 2016External Relationships
- snoPanTher
This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.