Hello! I am Isa, I am a Ph.D. student in the lab of Dr. Angela Stathopoulos working on Drosophila melanogaster embryonic patterning and development with a focus on characterizing the roles of dynamic transcriptional regulators. My project is specifically focused on the characterization of the transcription factor Runt/Runx and its role in embryonic development. With a combined wet lab and computational analyses background my project is centered on leveraging big-genomic data and imaging validation to establish a clearer understanding of Runt/Runx role in development and fate specification. I am also a first-generation college and graduate school student from a low-income background with a passion for outreach and mentorship. I received my Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology from UC Irvine 2021 and decided to further my education as a PhD student at Caltech in the fall of the same year. Outside of research, I am an avid reader and enjoy swimming and some amateur insect and flower photography. I am also involved in multiple outreach initiatives focusing on reaching students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, such as myself.
