Overview
Born in North Carolina and raised in Buffalo, NY, Sam earned her B.S. in Biochemistry and Neuroscience from the University at Buffalo in 2021. Prior to starting her PhD, she studied a range of things, from ion channels to DNA damage repair. At Duke, she is using Atlantic killifish to study how evolutionary adaptation to chemical pollution impacts the health of wild fish populations in Norfolk, VA. She hopes her research can help inform environmental & ecological risk assessments by helping us understand how chemical contamination can make local populations more susceptible to other kinds of environmental stress. Outside the lab, you can find her hiking, playing videogames, reading, or crafting.