As an early-stage scientist, my work centers on understanding how the tumor immune microenvironment drives cancer progression. With a multidisciplinary research experience in cancer biology, immunology, and gene regulation, I have built a strong foundation for my current cancer research interest. Currently I am investigating the tumor microenvironment (TME), with a particular focus on the spatial organization of immune and tumor cells and how their interactions influence disease progression and therapeutic response. One of my key contributions has been uncovering the role of the stress hormone, cortisol, in altering metabolic pathways and inducing macrophage polarization. As a continuation of this work, my current research focuses on how microRNAs induced by cortisol and packaged into macrophage-derived exosomes facilitate angiogenesis. Additionally, I have studied the immune landscape in breast tumors and observed striking differences in the immune architecture across breast cancer molecular subtypes and among racially diverse patient populations.