Why did you choose Johns Hopkins for your work?

Johns Hopkins has some of the leading neuroscience laboratories in the country that are on the forefront for research endeavors and technology. From multiple sclerosis, to Parkinson’s disease, to ALS and Alzheimer’s disease, Johns Hopkins paves the way for establishing advancements toward neurological disease-modifying cures.

What does receiving this award mean to you personally and professionally? Do you have any connection with the particular award you received?

This award is a testament that hard work truly does pay off. I will never forget the countless all-nighters spent in the lab, carrying out this research, excited for the day I can broadcast it to the world. Receiving recognition for the work through this program echoed our groups’ initial thoughts on the importance of the study, with implications on how diseases such as multiple sclerosis lead to debilitation over time. Finally, the previous recipients for this particular award are incredible researchers, and I am honored to have my name categorized with them.

What contributed to your project’s success? (Special skills, interests, opportunities, guidance, etc.)

This project was a huge team effort with experts that trained me (or carried out) advanced techniques related to microscopy, flow cytometry, transcriptomic, mouse genetics and drug development in order to probe our scientific questions and endeavor on a five-year journey that continued to unveil both expected and unexpected results. Personally, I had a deep motivation to carry out this work since my father lives with multiple sclerosis and has taken many treatments over the past three decades that have yet to mitigate the insidious debilitation that worsens over time.

What thoughts do you have about Young Investigators’ Day itself, as a celebration of the roles students and fellows play in research at Johns Hopkins?

Young Investigators’ Day is an incredible way to recognize early-career scientists who often do not have the opportunity to receive praise for their work, while broadcasting it to friends, family, colleagues, clinicians and scientists. I have always attended this prestigious and informative award ceremony at Johns Hopkins; however, this year, I will be presenting my work as an awardee!

What has been your best/most memorable experience while at Johns Hopkins?

I have had a few memorable experiences; however, one of my favorite moments that expanded over several weeks was the day our research project began to come together at a high-level mechanistic level. We first had a lot of concern regarding the results, but over time, working with my co-first author on the project (a previous fellow at JHU who now runs a laboratory at UPitt), Sachin Gadani, we pieced together different experimental results that we previously overlooked. We confirmed our research suspicions over time with a series of exciting experiments, with the help of a very talented scientist in our group, Matthew Smith. This reinvigorated my passion for uncovering a scientific story through research while reminding me to never rule out results that do not fit your “ideal/initial” thoughts.

What are your plans over the next year or so? Graduating, looking for faculty positions, etc.?

I just recently graduated with my Ph.D., and am now on the job market for a postdoctoral fellowship position in a neuroscience-based academic or industry facility. From there, I plan to publish more work related to neurodegeneration and neuroimmunology, eventually becoming a principal scientist who manages a group of like-minded individuals who are intrigued by cellular and molecular neurobiology.

Tell me something interesting about yourself that makes you unique. Do you have any special hobbies, interests or life experiences?

I have had the privilege of working on a wide range of scientific projects throughout my undergraduate and graduate degrees, which shaped my perspective of research that I want to pursue as a lifelong career. I have had internships in American and Greek hospitals, other academic institutes around the country, and biotech companies such as Denali Therapeutics studying everything from cancer biology to systems neuroscience.

Beyond research, I grew up competitively park skiing and surfing, breaking many bones and tearing many muscles in doing so. In college, I gravitated toward something less physically risky, making music, and have been producing songs for the last nine years under the alias “QuixoticZ.” Lately, I have also been very into cooking healthy, vegetarian-based meals with friends!