Overview
B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Asian Studies – Chinese Concentration from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Josh was born and raised in the small town of Mooresville, North Carolina with his younger sister, where they grew up camping, hiking, and swimming in the nearby Lake Norman. He attended and graduated from Mooresville High School in May of 2018, and discovered his passion for biological sciences during his time there. In his senior year, he took AP Biology and AP Environmental Science, where he began to learn about and appreciate the complexity of biological processes and cellular mechanisms, ultimately leading to a decision to pursue scientific research as a career.
Once beginning at UNC Chapel Hill, Josh immediately began taking biology and chemistry courses, and began working in the UNC Alan Jones Laboratory researching plant biology. During his time there, Josh’s research focused on the roles of specific plant proteins and genes in their immunity to various bacteria strains, and received the UNC Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Fellowship for the Summer of 2021. During this 10 week fellowship, he worked full-time in the laboratory on independent projects, and gained a deeper understanding of lab procedures and the biological processes of plant immunity to bacteria. The following year, Josh continued his work in the Jones Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher and presented his findings to faculty and students at the UNC BIOL395 Research Symposium.
After graduating, Josh joined the Smith Lab at Duke University in July of 2022, where he looks forward to learning new bacterial handling techniques, proper management of mice colonies, and safety procedures with hazardous/infectious materials.
Outside of the lab, you can usually find Josh playing guitar or playing disc golf with friends. He also enjoys reading, traveling, playing video games, and listening to the Blues.