Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I obtained my MSc in nutrition from Columbia University and my PhD in nutrition science from the University of Maryland. Since graduate school I have had a strong interest in the biology of retinoids and their role as differentiating agents. I joined the Gudas laboratory in October of 2011 to examine the epigenetic mechanisms driving retinoid mediated embryonic stem cell differentiation to insulin producing pancreatic βcells. This project is in line with my knowledge of nutritional and metabolic disorders and could lead to in vitro protocols for generation of renewable sources of βcells for treatment of type 1 diabetes. Outside of the lab I have many interests, including cinema, music, and traveling. I am excited to be back in NYC, and to be part of the Gudas lab.