My interests lie in preventing disease transmission and mortality in underdeveloped countries around the world. Currently I am learning the concepts and skills of bacterial pathogenesis research and vaccine development. I specialize in the study of agents that cause enteric diarrheal disease, specifically Enterotoxigenic E. coli. ETEC express colonization factors, or fimbriae, that are used to attach and colonize the human small intestine. I hope to determine what fimbriael proteins are the most important in that adhesion process, and thereby contribute to the formation of a more specifically targeted vaccine against ETEC. In the future, I intend to incorporate a public health element to my work, giving my career an interdisciplinary direction that will allow direct involvment with vaccine policy.

Molecular cloning, DNA and protein blots, Brightfield and TEM/SEM microscopy, use of animal pathogenesis models, including survival surgery on rabbits, cell culture, bacterial manipulation

I was originally born in Oklahoma to two fantastic and loving parents, but have tried to move every couple of years since graduating from ORU with a BS in Biology. I had specialized in marine ecology in undergrad and moved to California to pursue a Ph.D. studying the diving physiology of pinnipeds (i.e. sea lions). But, I wound up taking several years off to reevaluate career goals when it became apparent that the availability of grants and jobs for what I wanted to do were few and far between. During those years I worked briefly for Pharmingen, gaining a bit of industry-related experience and then moved to the Burnham Institute in La Jolla. I spent two years working in a protein crystallography and NMR lab, learning how proteins are expressed and formed. I moved within the Burnham to a cell signaling laboratory as lab manager, where I remained for two more years. In between jobs and during vacation, I spent as much time as possible exploring the west coast and central america. I loved the culture and the people I encountered and tried to spend as much time as possible learning more about them, including acting as a mentor for mexican children. The combination of wanderlust to travel and passion for helping the disadvantaged led me to choose the career path for vaccine development. It will hopefully allow me to find job satisfaction, challenges, and adventure all in one.
I am also currently spending lots of time working on environmental issues as the President of the GSEAC, an on-campus student-led environmental group that is attempting to improve the way the university approaches it's role in environmental responsibility and leadership. We are just getting started, but we have lots of big plans.
Hobbies include rock, ice and mountain climbing, trekking, running, reading, cooking, kayaking, mountain biking, eating, traveling.

Briknarova K, Takayama S, Homma S, Baker K, Cabezas E, Hoyt DW, Li Z, Satterthwait AC, Ely KR. BAG4/SODD protein contains a short BAG domain. J Biol Chem. 2002 Aug 23;277(34):31172-8.

Sun Y, Yuan J, Liu H, Shi Z, Baker K, Vuori K, Wu J, Feng GS. Role of Gab1 in UV-induced c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activation and cell apoptosis. Mol Cell Biol. 2004 Feb; 24(4):1531-9.