In high school, I was fascinated by biology and chemistry and knew I wanted a career that combined both. Pharmacy school was the perfect fit as it was a good blend of these disciplines. Early on, I discovered that I loved working in the lab and mentoring students, which ultimately led me to pursue teaching as a career.

My academic journey began in pharmacy school, and while I loved the program, I soon realized that my passion was teaching. In my second year, I began working in a laboratory, which then sparked a love for research. At that moment, I knew that becoming a university professor was my career path.

This passion led me to join Dr. Marco Prado’s research team, where I completed a Master’s and Ph.D. in Biochemical and Molecular Pharmacology. Early in my Ph.D. training, Dr. Prado accepted a position at Western University and moved to Canada. A few months later, I made the difficult decision to follow him and continue my research, focusing on the molecular basis of Prion and Alzheimer’s diseases. Moving to a new country came with its challenges—adapting to a different culture, learning a new language, and being far from my family. But today, I am proud to call Canada home and thankful for this wonderful opportunity.

After defending my Ph.D., I pursued a brief postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience, studying calcium channels. I then joined Dr. Stephen Ferguson’s lab as a research associate and imaging facility manager, furthering my expertise in molecular pharmacology.

While research kept me deeply engaged, my love for teaching never wavered. During my Master’s, I taught several courses at a college. When I moved to Canada, I actively sought opportunities to refine my teaching skills, completing various training workshops. I was also fortunate to teach first- and second-year medical science students, which deepened my commitment to education. Then, in 2015, when the right opportunity came along, I fulfilled my long-awaited dream of becoming an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology at Western University.