Andy is currently an IRTA research fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. At the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, he studies the role of arthropod salivary gland proteins in blood feeding and disease transmission. He received a B.A. in Biology from New College of Florida, a small liberal arts honors college in Sarasota. He completed his undergraduate thesis research with the University of Florida’s Medical Entomology Laboratory, focusing on the impact of larval nutrition on the ability of adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to become infected with and transmit the Zika virus. In Fall 2020, he will join the Biological Sciences Department of Columbia University as a PhD student. He is also a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP) for 2020. Andy is interested in helping students navigate the stressful but rewarding process of applying to graduate school. He is interested in helping students tell their story, which has culminated in their decision to pursue a graduate degree. As a gay man with disabilities, he is also interested in helping members of underrepresented groups to highlight their resilience, which has provided strength and a unique perspective. He enjoys making people laugh, traveling, and playing with dogs.