My current role is as the Senior Research Associate for the Training and Educational Center for Healthcare Simulation (TECHS) at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. As a recent graduate, I am in a transition period in my career from a laboratory scientist to focus more on health sciences and medical education. I completed my PhD in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Santa Cruz while working at NASA Ames Research Center as a graduate research associate in the fields of protein and biomolecular engineering. I have many years of experience in performing advanced tasks in designing, conducting, and supervising original research. Additionally, I earned my MSci and BSci from the University of Texas at El Paso in Environmental Science and Microbiology/Chemistry, respectively. I have mentored over 40 students and research assistants during my graduate and professional career and have managed the implementation of protocols and procedures in the lab.

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