scientist  &  science writer

I’m a PhD candidate at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design.

​Our research combines high-performance computing and biochemical modeling to produce brand new genes. Our work was a runner-up for Science's Breakthrough of the Year in 2016. (thanks, gravitational waves.)

​My writing for The Conversation has appeared in Scientific American, Fast Company, Salon and more than 30 other online outlets. As a 2018 AAAS Mass Media fellow, I reported on the progress and process of science at the Philadelphia Inquirer​. As a columnist and special advisor for SynBioBeta, I cover the cultural and economic forces shaping synthetic biology. ​