Currently a PhD candidate in Cell & Molecular Biology at Colorado State University in the lab of Dr. Mark Stenglein studying the virus-host interactions of persistent viral infections in Drosophila melanogaster. I have extensive experience with molecular methods such as PCR, qPCR and sequencing library preparation. I have used a range of Illumina sequencing instruments as well as the Oxford Nanopore MinION. My PhD work is focused on characterizing the evolution and dispersal of a persistent viral infection of D. melanogaster.