Amanda is a third-year PhD candidate in Immunology under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Smith. Prior to attending graduate school at the University of Iowa, she obtained her B.S. in genetics with a minor in microbiology at Iowa State University where she studied zoonotic diseases and plant pathology under Dr. Melha Mellata and Dr. Larry Halverson, respectively. Her dissertation research focuses on unraveling disease mechanisms that lead to a chronic kidney disease called C3 glomerulopathy. Currently there are no commercially available treatment options for patients with C3 glomerulopathy and within 10 years of diagnosis 50% of patients progress to end stage renal failure and will need dialysis or transplantation.  The goal of her research is to identify biomarkers of disease in hopes of generating better diagnostic tools and identifying novel therapeutic targets. Amanda is supported by a T32 training grant. In her free time outside of the laboratory, Amanda can be found spending quality time with her family and friends or outdoors, hiking, camping, climbing, gardening, or playing with her puppy.