I began my interest in research while working as a Medical Technologist in a
small hospital in Northwestern Iowa. I wanted to continue with clinically
significant research as I continued on my career path.I completed my Bachelor of Sciences degree with majors in Biology and
Chemistry at Briar Cliff
College in Sioux City, Iowa. I pursued my Ph.D. in Pathology at
Saint Louis
University in St. Louis, Missouri and completed it in 1996. My thesis
work was in the immunolocalization of the murine cytomegalovirus assemblin gene
in infected murine fibroblasts.
I moved from research on cytomegalovirus to herpes simplex virus when I
accepted a post-doctoral fellowship at
Louisiana State
University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. I worked
the rabbit and mouse eye model of herpes simplex virus and the determination of
latency and the sequences that are important in reactivation of the virus.
