Profile
I am currently completing my graduate studies (Ph.D.) in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am seeking a new challenge with great people motivated by great research. I have a strong background in molecular biology and virology. Of particular interest to me is cellular signaling events (transcriptional regulation, cell stress sensing/coping mechansims), pathogen-host interactions, protein trafficking, and molecular mechanisms underyling protein functioning.
I am a highly independent individual who is not afraid to take on challenging projects.
I am a committed team player who supports the values, vision, and mission goal of the organization.
I pursue opportunities to collaborate.
I love to design, plan, and execute experiments.
I interpret and communicate results in a clear and effective manner.
Overall, I am always eager to enchance my scientific growth as a researcher.
Interests
I have a wide variety of interests and possess a very curious mind that needs to stay busy.
Either with friends or family, or alone, here is what I enjoy doing.
Food: I like to eat and make good food. I make Ina Garten recipes as much as possible. Sometimes I pig out at Portillo's. Surprisingly, my cholesterol and blood pressure levels are normal. My boyfriend and I brewed our first batch of beer from a Cooper's beer kit (Feb '10) and the lager turned out very well after 6 weeks of fermentation.
Music: Radiohead, Soundgarden, A Perfect Circle, Disturbed, Depeche Mode, R&B, Lady Gaga, and Diane Birch. I also play the piano and the guitar(poorly).
Reading: At the local library, I am continously finding new and interesting reads. Books I like:
Me Talk Pretty One Day, Of Parrots and People, Who Moved my Cheese?
Video Games: Wii and PS3. No, I don't play girly games, and I am actually in an online female only team... we're pretty good.
I don't really watch that much TV, and the only movie I've really enjoyed these past few years is Inglourious Basterds.
Birds are my favorite type of animal and I have a cockatoo named Selson who doesn't dance like Snowball.. yet.
I hate walking, so I rollerblade around as much as possible. I've also discovered hula-hooping as a cheap form of self-entertainment and exercise.
Olivia Elsewhere
My sad attempts to conform to the social networking world.
