I am an early career researcher and lecturer at the University of Notre Dame, with an interest in the interaction between the gut-brain axis, environment and lifestyle factors and their contribution to neurological health. My PhD explored the gut barrier in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, which involved a Fulbright Future Scholarship at Johns Hopkins University and resulted in several first-author and co-authored publications. Post-PhD, I have continued exploring alpha-synuclein in the gut and the role of the gut and microbiome in various neurological conditions, and am beginning to explore the effect of plastics on the gut-brain axis.