MolES Student Spotlight

April 27, 2026

Q: What is your hometown?
A: I’m originally from San Jose, California.

Q: What are the three rotations you have been part of during your first year?
A: First rotation: Bioengineering (creating logic-responsive hydrogels out of cross-linked proteins in the Cole DeForest lab.

Second rotation: Materials Science (tuning the mechanical properties of bacterial cellulose hydrogels and films with protein additive in the Eleftheria Roumeli lab)

Third and current rotation: Continuing materials science engineering (hydrogel development and bioelectronic design in the Quansan Yang lab to create a device that will be able to sense inflammation in the uterine lining during pregnancy).

Q: As a volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium, how did you get involved and what are your responsibilities?
A: I’m a habitat interpreter at the aquarium, which means I’m interacting and engaging with guests to facilitate conversations about marine conservation and the environment, while also explaining exhibits and managing interactive activities. A lot of this work is in the realm of science communication, because it’s specifically trying to engage guests not only in the actual content of what we’re doing, but in such a way that it’s digestible, easy to understand and inspiring. I think it’s empowering to be that person to help inspire other people to get into science.

I’ve always really liked aquariums; that’s where I got interested in science. I just thought it was very interesting to go and see all these foreign-looking life forms, and understanding not only their biology, but also their place in the greater picture of things — like how do these particular organisms interact with each other and the environment? How does that affect humans; how do humans affect them? And then wanting to understand the position of humanity within the realm of the natural world.

Q: You’re juggling a lot as a doctoral student and volunteer. What are your secrets to effective time management?
A: I have a Google calendar that I very religiously put things on. I didn’t used to be like that, but now I need to methodically detail every single activity, meetings and other things.  I look ahead on my calendar and figure out how much time would I really need? But even with all of the stuff that I’ve been doing, I still have found it to be somewhat manageable.

Q: How did you learn about the UW tuition waiver that allows students to take elective courses?
A: I think I overheard that offering during the visit weekend [at UW].  I distinctly remember when I was registering I just kind of knew, “Oh, 18 credits are the amount that the program will support me for, and so I can slot it in.”

Q: What type of dance class have you taken at UW?
A: My first elective course here was West African dance, primarily inspired by dance forms from the countries of Benin and Togo.

Q: What other non-academic courses are you looking forward to and why?
A: There’s a club-style dance class that seems really cool. Aside from dance classes, I’m interested in learning about foraging. There are some cool classes in fisheries and marine science about deep sea research and other things like that.

Q: How do classes that support your personal development and well-being improve your life and focus as a PhD student?
A: I definitely felt the benefits last quarter because there were certain days where I was working long hours because I felt really motivated to get something done by the end of the rotation. By the time I made it to dance, yes, I would be exhausted. But while you’re doing dance, you’re not thinking about anything else that was potentially weighing you down.

My personality is more prone to overthinking and overanalyzing. When you’re focusing on, “Oh, I have to do this movement the right way,” or “Oh, I’m really tired because I’m doing this movement for the 50th time,” then you’re not thinking about the other stuff. It’s a mental reset. And then when you’re done with it, you just feel more weightless in a way. And I suppose, invigorated.

Q: What are some of your research interests and goals?
A: Designing genetic circuity in microbes motivated me to apply to synthetic biology programs like this one, and I got exposed to biomaterials in the DeForest lab making logic-responsive hydrogels with proteins.  

From there, it was like, “Oh, let me try materials science.” That’s how I ended up here now — in not only the Roumeli lab, but also the Yang lab. In those two materials science environments, I still draw inspiration from aquariums and environmental stewardship, because a lot of their work involves naturally derived sustainable materials or creating biodegradable devices that can be used as clean alternatives for environmental monitoring and other purposes.

Q: Any advice for students looking at PhD programs in molecular engineering and sciences?
A: My main advice for students is [to] go somewhere that allows you to explore your interests in a way that not only exposes you to new ideas, but also challenges you to try something new. I think that both of those are really important aspects to grow as a scientist.