I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I then worked as a research coordinator at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago studying the impact of evidence-based interventions in school and community settings for youth who have experienced trauma. My current research interests include investigating the effect of early life stress and trauma on child cognitive and emotional development. Particularly, I’m interested in studying the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of anxiety and mood disorders in children and adolescents, particularly those exposed to adverse childhood experiences. My goal is to understand how we can galvanize the neuroplasticity of the developing brain to prevent future psychopathology for children at risk.