I am a Research Technician in the David Lab. I was born in South Africa, but grew up in Melbourne, Australia. I obtained my Bachelor of Health Science, majoring in physiology and anatomy, from La Trobe University before spending the next five years in the fitness industry. In 2020 I started my Master’s Degree in Nutrition with Deakin University. This coincided with the outbreak of COVID-19, and so, because my degree was taught exclusively online, I used the opportunity to come to the US to be with my girlfriend (now wife). Whilst I was predominantly studying public health nutrition, I chose to align my research thesis with a more personal interest – looking into the molecular mechanisms that govern glucose metabolism, and the implications this could have for those with insulin resistance and diabetes.
Here in the lab, I’m keeping an eye on the organization of all our samples, as well as looking into how the techniques we’re developing in the lab can be practically implemented for a non-scientific audience, to provide more insight into their diet.