Instructor Bio

Education and related professional experience 

B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - University of California, Santa Barbara 

Ph.D., Biochemistry - Boston University

I started my education at a community college, De Anza College; then, graduated from UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) with a B.S. degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  While at UCSB, I volunteered in a lab culturing cells (a lot of cells!).  After graduation, I used my cell culture skills to land my first job at a small clinical diagnostic company.  I then moved to a research technician position at the Palo Alto VA/Stanford studying signal transduction of atrial natriuretic factor, a protein that controls blood pressure.  This time in research motivated me to go to graduate school, graduating with my PhD from Boston University where I studied the molecular mechanisms of insulin function.  Following graduate school I did two postdoctoral fellowships, first at the University of Virginia; then, at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. My postdoctoral research were focused on signal transduction, the process where cells in the body communicate with each other. My particular interest was in phosphorylation of proteins. I was fortunate to work at great research institutions with some great scientists.  

My time at CCSF

In 2006 I started my teaching career with the Intro to PCR course (BTEC 24), and now have taught most of the courses in the program. 

I served officially as the Program Coordinator from 2016 to 2019, when this position was eliminated by the College.  I continue to perform some of the duties of the Coordinator position and serve as the primary contact point for students and the college administration.  If you have any questions about the Biotechnology Program or the college, you can start with me. If I can't get the answer, I'll refer you to where to get help.