03 / Teaching & mentorship

From pattern to mechanism.

I teach the same way I do science: by giving students practice connecting observations to mechanisms. My approach combines evidence-based active learning, progressive ownership, and scientific community for students who do not yet see themselves as scientists.

25+Scientists and trainees mentored

12Teaching appointments at UCI

SteinhausTeaching Award recipient

Teaching at a Glance

12 teaching appointments across Genetics, Cell Biology, Human Development, From DNA to Organisms, and Scientific Writing at UCI.

Edward A. Steinhaus Teaching Award recipient and UCI CIRTL Associate.

Pedagogical Fellow trained in evidence-based pedagogy and inclusive teaching; co-designed professional-development curriculum for graduate instructors.

Mentored 25+ scientists and trainees across UCLA, UCI, and UCSF, many of whom went on to PhD, MD/PhD, medical, and clinical careers.

Teaching Honors & Training

Edward A. Steinhaus Teaching Award

UCI CIRTL Associate certification

Pedagogical Fellow training in evidence-based pedagogy and inclusive teaching

Teaching Philosophy

The goal is to help students move from recognizing a pattern to explaining its mechanism. Through UCI's Pedagogical Fellows program, I learned to use Bloom's taxonomy to audit and revise assessment questions with the professors I supported, balancing recall with analysis and synthesis. I designed discussion sections around collaborative problem sets and active recall so students could practice that deeper reasoning together.

Teaching is also an iterative practice. After midterms, I reviewed student evaluations and adjusted each discussion group's next section to respond to its needs. Before exams, we revisited the weekly quiz questions students voted hardest. I kept a record of which activities worked, carried successful approaches into later courses, and revised or retired those that did not land.

In the classroom

Connecting structure to function

A team-based activity connecting brain regions to their functions helped students move beyond memorization toward mechanistic reasoning. Challenging problems gave students opportunities to articulate and test their explanations.

Reflective practice

Student feedback shapes the next class

Evaluations, quiz questions, and conversations with teaching mentors guided my revisions. This work was recognized with UCI's Edward A. Steinhaus Teaching Award.

Mentoring philosophy

Structure first. Independence over time.

My mentorship centers on progressive ownership. I provide structure and direction early, then deliberately step back as trainees build confidence and take on more of the work themselves. Clear expectations, detailed protocols, and regular feedback support that transition.

Observe

Practice

Troubleshoot

Own the question

As a first-generation Latina scientist from a working-class family, I also work to build scientific community for students who may not yet see a place for themselves in research. That commitment shapes my courses, mentoring, and outreach.

Future teaching contributions

Gene regulation as a systems-level problem

I am prepared to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in gene regulation and functional genomics. I would also welcome the opportunity to develop a conceptual module on post-transcriptional regulation, using RNA-binding proteins and mRNA stability to explore how cells integrate molecular signals to control gene expression.

For upper-division undergraduates, this module would build practice thinking in networks. For graduate students, it would connect regulatory mechanisms to experimental design.

Selected Highlights

Head Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 93, where I supervised fellow TAs, audited discussion sections, and led three sections per week.

Pedagogical Fellow for TAPDP training, developing and leading workshops for new TAs in Biological Sciences and Engineering.

Guest lecturer in Scientific Writing and Human Development, including sessions on clinical research design flaws, mitosis, and meiosis.

Co-designed curriculum for University Studies 390C to prepare pedagogical fellows for the academic job market.

Full Teaching Record

Mentor for Bio Sci 199 Students | UCI | Fall 2014 - Fall 2019: Mentored 4 undergraduate research students; trained students in hypothesis-driven research design.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 75 (Human Development: Conception to Birth) | UCI | Spring Quarter 2019: Dr. Sha Sun; 25% appointment; weekly office hours; guest lectured on mitosis and meiosis.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 100 (Scientific Writing) | UCI | Winter Quarter 2019: Dr. Debra Mauzy-Melitz; 25% appointment; administrative TA.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 97 (Genetics) | UCI | Fall Quarter 2018: Dr. Rahul Warrior, Dr. Zeba Wunderlich, Dr. Lee Bardwell, and Dr. Olivier Cinquin; 50% appointment; administrative TA for two co-taught sections.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 97 (Genetics) | UCI | Summer Session 2018: Dr. Lee Bardwell; 50% appointment; administrative TA; led two discussion sections per week; created original learning materials; trained a second TA in administrative and teaching duties.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 93 (From DNA to Organisms) | UCI | Fall Quarter 2017: Dr. Justin Shaffer; 50% appointment; administrative TA; trained new TAs; audited and gave feedback on fellow TA discussion sections.

Pedagogical Fellow for TAPDP Training | UCI | Sept 2017: Conducted workshops to train new TAs from the School of Engineering.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 97 (Genetics) | UCI | Summer Session 2017: Dr. Lee Bardwell; 50% appointment; led two discussion sections per week; created original learning materials.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 93 (From DNA to Organisms) | UCI | Fall Quarter 2016: Dr. Justin Shaffer; 50% appointment; led three discussion sections per week; designed all course materials; audited fellow TA discussion sections.

Curriculum Design of University Studies 390C | UCI | Fall 2016: Co-designed curriculum for a course preparing pedagogical fellows for the academic job market; topics included cover letters, CVs, research statements, diversity statements, networking, and social media.

Pedagogical Fellow for TAPDP Training | UCI | Jan 2016 - Sept 2016: Developed and conducted training workshops for new TAs.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci D103 (Cell Biology) | UCI | Summer Session 2016: Dr. Salme Taagepera; 50% appointment; administrative TA; led two discussion sections per week; created original learning materials.

Guest Lecturer for Bio Sci 100 (Scientific Writing) | UCI | Winter Quarter 2016: Dr. Debra Mauzy-Melitz; lecture title: Clinical Research Design Flaws.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 93 (From DNA to Organisms) | UCI | Fall Quarter 2015: Dr. Justin Shaffer; 50% appointment; Head TA; helped other TAs create teaching materials; led three discussion sections per week; created original learning materials; audited fellow TA discussion sections.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 97 (Genetics) | UCI | Summer Session 2015: Dr. David Camerini; 50% appointment; administrative TA; led two discussion sections per week; created original learning materials.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 75 (Human Development: Conception to Birth) | UCI | Spring Quarter 2015: Dr. Sha Sun; 25% appointment; guest lectured on mitosis and meiosis; held office hours once a week.

Teaching Assistant for Bio Sci 93 (From DNA to Organisms) | UCI | Fall Quarter 2014: Dr. Justin Shaffer; 50% appointment; Biological Sciences Graduate Teaching Fellow Program; led three discussion sections per week; created original learning materials.

Full Mentoring Record

Direct Mentor for Ashir Borah, UCSF Graduate Student | 2022-Present: Supervised two lab rotations in the Goodarzi lab; continued as an informal mentor and scientific advisor after his transition to the Gilbert lab at Arc Institute. Current status: UCSF Graduate Student Researcher in the lab of Dr. Luke Gilbert at the Arc Institute.

Direct Mentor for Tabea Mittmann, Visiting Medical Student from Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster | July 2022-Sept 2023: Current status: Medical Student at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.

Direct Mentor for Vicky Chen, Visiting Undergraduate Student through the Summer Research Training Program at UCSF | Summer 2023: Current status: Stanford University Graduate Student Researcher in the lab of Dr. Kyle Daniels.

Mentor for Benjamin Lin, UCI Undergraduate Student and Lab Technician | Jan 2015-May 2019: Current status: MD/PhD Student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Direct Mentor for Micaela Erhard, UCI Undergraduate Student | Oct 2015-June 2017: Current status: Clinical Laboratory Scientist at Lucid Diagnostics.

Additional mentoring across UCLA, UCI, and UCSF includes more than 20 undergraduate, graduate, medical, and postdoctoral trainees.

Mentorship outcomes: trainees I have mentored have gone on to PhD, MD/PhD, medical, and clinical careers.

What Trainees in My Lab Can Expect

Rigorous experimental training in RNA biology, cancer biology, and functional genomics.
Direct coaching in scientific communication, from figure design to manuscript-level reasoning.
Progressive ownership, moving from guided practice to increasing independence.
Inclusive mentoring with clear expectations, regular feedback, and structured support.
Reproducible workflow habits, including careful documentation, troubleshooting, and SOP-driven training.