  I grew up in Dominica, a beautiful island in the Caribbean whose unspoiled, natural beauty has earned her the nickname “Nature Island of the Caribbean.” A sample of her beauty is featured here in some photos from my last trip home, as well as in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (2006).  My undergraduate research experience at UT-Austin was invaluable in my decision to pursue graduate education. I became intrigued by the relationship between our environment and our health, and therefore chose to pursue a doctorate in Toxicology. I came to UC Berkeley because my interests were closely related to work being done by some of the research faculty.  6th year. PhD Candidate. Martyn Smith Lab. Recipient of the Chancellor’s Fellowship for Graduate Study and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship  I enjoy music, food, taking photos, and making lifelong friendships. I’d like to do more volunteer work, learn to play the piano, and travel to Europe and Australia. |
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I’ve had the fortune to join a wonderful research team led by Professor Martyn Smith in the School of Public Health. My research project focuses on arsenic, a naturally occurring element in the earth’s crust. Arsenic is a major public health concern because 1) it is associated with numerous harmful health effects, and 2) millions of people worldwide are exposed to arsenic, especially through contaminated drinking water. Our research is aimed at understanding how arsenic exerts its toxic effects, and may therefore have important implications for public health and the regulation of arsenic exposures.
Publications
Hegedus CM, Skibola CF, Warner M, Skibola DR, Alexander D, Lim S, Dangleben NL, Zhang L, Clark M, Pfeiffer RM, Steinmaus C, Smith AH, Smith MT, Moore LE. (2008). Decreased urinary beta-defensin-1 expression as a biomarker of response to arsenic. Toxicol Sci. 106, 74-82.
Crews D, Gore AC, Hsu TS, Dangleben NL, Spinetta M, Schallert T, Anway MD, Skinner MK. (2007). Transgenerational epigenetic imprints on mate preference. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104, 5942-6.
