Vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies present with symptoms like anemia and birth defects, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We show that B12 and FA antagonize aryl hydrocarbon receptor, which has been implicated in anemia and birth defects. We found that treatments with B12/FA rescued mice from AhR agonist-mediated anemia, fatty livers, and cleft palates.

At Detect, I worked on molecular wet-lab research studies as well as clinical IRB studies that led to the FDA Emergency Use Authorizationa approval of the Detect diagnostic kit for SARS-CoV-2. I was on the research team from 2020-2021 at the height of the pandemic. In addition to molecular and clincical work, I interacted with healthcare providers studied live Covid-19 samples. My primary contribution was a 20-page independent white paper on the sensitivity of various loop-mediated amplification primers.