As an undergraduate I conducted research in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Adams. The focus of this research involved the detection of specific membrane receptors in the neurons of Drosophila melanogaster. After graduating I began research in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Miller and also started teaching part-time at Chaffey College. While working in Dr. Miller’s lab I was involved with a number of different research projects. My main focus was to create genetically modified insects, specifically the tobacco budworm and the pink bollworm. The aim of this research was to create a novel strategy for the control of pest populations. After leaving Dr. Miller's lab, I worked for the Los Angeles County Water District, at their water reclamation plant. There I performed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulated toxicity testing assays on local water samples. I also isolated and identified toxic compounds from environmental water samples using distillation techniques, Mass spectrometry, NMR, and ELISA