• Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
• Faculty mentor/advisor: Nicole Brogden, Assistant Professor, Pharmacy
• What is your degree program and expected graduate date? Pharmaceutics, May 2022
• Please describe your research: Temperature-sensitive polymers are materials that can change from liquids at lower temperatures to gels at body temperature. The goal of my research is to use these materials to develop new gel products that can be directly applied to a painful skin wound and provide prolonged relief. Our hope is to minimize product application time and discomfort for patients suffering from chronic wounds.
• In simple terms, why does this research matter? Chronic wound care is a difficult and painful process that affects millions of Americans. The success of my project would enable new products to be developed that could make that process more convenient for care-providers, as well as safer and more comfortable for patients.
• How soon after starting at the University of Iowa were you able to participate in research? I began working on the preliminary aspects of this project during my first semester at the University of Iowa.
• How has being involved in research made you more successful at the University of Iowa? My involvement in research has been key to my development as a graduate student. It has exposed me to in-lab experiences and techniques that will be valuable to me as I continue my career in science both at the University of Iowa and beyond. Additionally, my research involvement has enabled me to develop my scientific communication skills, which has been vital in gaining knowledge through understanding the work of my fellow researchers within the university.
• What are your career goals and/or plans after graduation? After graduation, I hope to work in a product development capacity within the pharmaceutical industry.

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