Professional Writing

The Professional Writing minor is an exceptional program offered at UCSB with multiple tracks offered to the students. As a pharmacology major, I was drawn to the Science Communication track since my admission to UCSB. All of my academic pieces can be found in this section. Each piece represents a different genre and STEM-related topic of my professional and personal interest.

Capstone Project

Trapped in a Dream: When Fantasy Becomes Compulsion

This magazine article is modeled off of Scientific American and discusses maladaptive daydreaming, a newly defined mental disorder that involves intense, vivid daydreaming that disrupts daily function.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Instagram • 14th June 2024

MD Center - A Safe Space for Maladaptive Daydreaming

To supplement my magazine article on maladaptive daydreaming, my Instagram page summarizes its definition and offers wellness tips on how to cope with the disorder.

Research and Technical Writing

Photo by Fayette Reynolds M.S. on Pexels

11th March 2024

How Peroxisome-Beta-Oxidation and Lipid Droplet-Peroxisome Co-Regulation Regulates Cellular Aging

This systematic literature review analyzes recent literature surrounding how co-regulation of peroxisomal function and lipid biosynthesis affects cellular metabolism. The topic reflects the work I conducted in an undergraduate research lab.

Photo by Chris G on Pexels

17th February 2023

Designing the Cordyceps Virus Vaccine: Peroxin Gene Knockdown and Peroxisome Targeting Systems

This piece is a research paper on the development of the fictional zombie Cordyceps virus vaccine, inspired by the "The Last of Us" franchise. The scientific discussion is inspired by my work in undergraduate research surrounding peroxisomal function.

Writing for the Public

Photo by Arina Krasnikova on Pexels

2nd February 2024

Gua Sha Face-Slimming: Effective or Not?

This article discusses the benefits of traditional Gua Sha, a health and beauty technique originating from China, and whether the popularized modern example has scientific validity.

Photo by lil artsy on Pexels

The Development of Nicotine Gum

Nicotine gum is used to slowly wean individuals off of their nicotine addiction to prevent abrupt cessation. This science history piece discusses the progress and major figures involved in the development of nicotine gum.

Photo by Victor Freitas on Pexels

12th January 2023

New Research Reveals Vision in Vertebrates Originated from Horizontal Gene Transfer

My hot take is an opinion piece on recent research that implies vertebrate vision evolved from bacterial horizontal gene transfer. The article discusses the findings and implications of the research.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

25th October 2022

Editorial

My editorial essay was a short news piece on fighting against climate change in California. Its goal was to cover a relevant and recent issue with a call for action.