Portia Mira

Bio:

I was born and raised in the central valley of California. Earned my A.S. in Chemical Sciences at Merced College, B.S. in Biological Sciences with emphasis in Developmental Biology at UC Merced, and my Ph.D. in Microbial Evolution in the Quantitative and Systems Biology Program at UC Merced. My postdoctoral research will focus on the effects of combinatorial and cyclical antibiotic therapies on the evolution of antibiotic resistance with an emphasis on Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CREs). Aside from my research, I am a mom of three young children who keep me busier than my research does! Spending time with them is what keeps me going.

Along side my research, I also enjoy teaching and mentoring students, especially those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, as I myself grew up in a foster home. I hope to obtain a position where I am able to teach and continue my research and mentor students both in and out of my lab.