Mentoring Experience
My mentoring approach is grounded in meeting students where they are and building on the strengths they already bring. I use linked-learning strategies to connect new scientific concepts to topics students are familiar with, helping make complex ideas more accessible and meaningful. Guided by the CAPE (Capacity, Access, Participation, Experience) framework, I emphasize not only technical skill development but also critical thinking, communication, and confidence, supporting students as they grow into independent and capable researchers.
ACT-SO Mentorship (High School Student)
I mentored a high school student through the ACT-SO program who was interested in pursuing a STEM major despite having limited prior experience in the field. I guided her through a research project analyzing publicly available microbiome sequencing data from the NCBI Sequence Read Archive to investigate how systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects the gut microbiome. She conducted analyses of alpha and beta diversity and identified key microbial taxa associated with both SLE and healthy populations. Through this process, she gained experience in data analysis, scientific communication, and research design, ultimately presenting her work at the DuPage County ACT-SO competition.
I mentored two undergraduate students at UIC on a research project exploring the “obesity paradox,” a phenomenon in which lean individuals may exhibit a higher risk of hypertension compared to their obese counterparts in certain contexts. The students reanalyzed microbiome sequencing data from the NCBI Sequence Read Archive to perform a preliminary investigation of this relationship, focusing on microbial composition and potential links to cardiometabolic outcomes. I supported them in developing their analytical approach, interpreting results, and communicating their findings, which they presented at the UIC Undergraduate Research Forum in 2026.
Undergraduate Mentorship (UIC Students)
