I grew up in Minnesota before moving to Iowa to pursue my Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Cornell College, where I also minored in Psychology. During my undergraduate years, I gained experience in both clinical and research settings, which sparked my interest in understanding disease from both a patient-care and scientific perspective. I joined the University of Iowa as a research assistant, where my work introduced me to the connections between metabolism, the gut microbiome, and immune-mediated disease.