My research has primarily focused on understanding how stress and social inequality impact health and wellbeing across populations and environments, with particular focus on immune function and aging (“immunosenescence”). I have worked with large population-based studies in the Philippines (Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey) and US (Add Health, Jackson Heart Study), while I am now working with the Tsimane Health and Life History Project. My current research interests include understanding how environmental and lifestyle factors influence the relationship between immune function and brain aging as well as connections between immune and metabolic function (“immunometabolism”).

My expertise is in immunology. During my PhD, I researched T cell response to cancer and characterized a rare T cell subset. After graduation, I studied the impact of metabolite-based nanoparticles on immune cell function, namely innate immune cells. I am experienced with flow cytometry and have trained others to use flow cytometers and to analyze flow data. I am currently interested in studying the impact of environmental factors on the immune response as part of the Tsimane Health and Life History Project. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and trying new foods, baking, and exercising.

I am a Faculty Research Scientist at the Center for Evolution and Medicine at Arizona State University, overseeing operations and research in the Trumble lab. My research focuses on the lifelong impacts of bacterial infectious diseases, with a particular emphasis on Staphylococcus aureus and its role in systemic inflammation, cognitive aging, and chronic disease. I have a diverse background in microbiology, tissue culture, inflammatory biomarkers, cognitive decline, brain atrophy, and cardiovascular disease. My current work investigates how chronic exposure to pathogens like S. aureus influences immune activation, inflammation, and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). In collaboration with NIH-funded research, I work with populations such as the Tsimane and Mosetén in Bolivia to explore the relationships between oral health, systemic inflammation, and neurodegeneration. In addition to my research, I enjoy sewing, cycling, and solving complex puzzles.