Current Adjunct Professor in the Cell and Molecular Biology Department at John Burns Medical School and 25 years as Professor in the STEM department for the University of Hawaii Maui College (recently retired), Mayo Clinic certified Wellness Coach and Precision Nutrition -1 Coach.

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Started as a biologist working in cancer research (Scripps Clinic San Diego) studying protein biochemistry and developing antibodies. As a graduate student at the University of California Davis and during post-doctoral studies I developed as a geneticist who studied viral resistance genes and developed genetic maps to disease resistance genes in plants. For the past 25 years I dedicated myself as a professor of microbiology, genetics, biology and biotechnology. This path has led to continual learning and teaching about the effects of both pathogenic and beneficial microbes to human health. For the past 10 years I have had the opportunity to do research with undergraduate students at UH Maui College through a NIH funded grant (INBRE) through the John Burns Medical School. This work along with sabbatical research at the Buck Institute of Healthy Living inspired questions about how food preservatives effect our gut and mouth microbiomes. I have felt the excitement of new research and have observed the passion in my students and other participating faculty members. We worked together to develop needed skills and acquire equipment to perform the necessary experiments. The students have gone on to teach and inspire new interns as their own paths in science are opening up. Our work has been published in the peer reviewed journal PLoS One and presented at local and mainland conferences. I am continuing aspects of this work currently as a Geneticist and Wellness coach (Mayo certified) for individuals with various health concerns.