Undergraduate Institution: North Park University

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Background: I was born in Baia Mare, Romania, and immigrated to the United States with my family, eventually settling in Chicago, Illinois. I attended North Park University for my undergraduate studies and earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a double major in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Chemistry in May 2025.

My interest in medicine developed throughout a range of formative experiences but, if isolated to a specific moment, it would be at the age of 7 while practicing my operative skills within various surgery simulators available online at the time. Since that age, I’ve developed a more complex understanding regarding my calling to medicine—most particularly while interacting with patients from Chicago’s immigrant diaspora as a medical assistant for Dr. Ana Gavrilovici.

My passion for research developed throughout a range of experiences. In 2024, I began an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Montana State University’s Center for Biofilm Engineering in the lab of Dr. Robin Gerlach. Through this experience, I rediscovered my appreciation for molecular biology outside of a textbook while working with cyanobacteria to better understand its potential for biofuel production. 

Later that same year, I began work at North Park University in the lab of Dr. Tracy O’Connor quantifying liver metastases in mouse lymphoma models to investigate how lymphotoxin signaling may promote tumor dissemination and liver infiltration, further driving my interest towards cancer research.

In 2025, I completed a research internship at Northwestern University’s Center for Synthetic Biology in the lab of Dr. Joshua Leonard, where the project focused on a subclass of transcription factors known as pioneer factors. Pioneer factors have the unique ability to access closed chromatin and, translationally, these insights support the development of clinically oriented mammalian synthetic gene circuit platforms for gene therapies and programmable cell therapies.

My future goal is to become a physician scientist with a focus on investigating novel therapeutic strategies for etiologically complex diseases such as cancer. I hope to understand my patients on both a personal level and a molecular level while treating them. As I continue in my education, I’m excited about the utilization of synthetic biology toolkits and deep learning models such as AlphaFold in advancing the specificity of targeted treatments within the context of disease. 

During my free time, I enjoy bouldering, running, reading, and playing board games with friends.