Alumni Awards

While pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Biology at A&M-SA, Jess was given the chance to join the research team of Dr. Corinna Ross. Under her tutelage, Jess conducted a research study on maternal obesity in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a small new-world primate roughly the size of a squirrel. From that moment on, she was hooked.

Jess graduated cum laude on May 20 of 2016 and began her new job three days later as a Research Assistant at Texas Biomedical Research Institute under Dr. Suzette Tardif, one of the leading marmoset researchers in the world. She was hired to organize and carry out a four- to five-year project aimed to standardize captive marmoset nutrition for both research facilities and zoos around the world. While working on the nutrition project, Jess was assigned to a multitude of other research projects focused on aging and cognition for young and geriatric marmosets. During this time, Jess also had the unique opportunity to collaborate with amazing scientists around the country, including some from the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and the Smithsonian National Zoo. Their research led to her to securing authorship on multiple papers published in national peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Magazine’s Scientific Reports, and the American Journal of Primatology. Jess was fortunate enough to earn the opportunity to present her research at multiple national and international conferences, such as the International Society of Primatologists and the American Society of Primatologists. After three years as a research assistant and with the nutrition project wrapping up, Jess realized she wanted to be a part of not only the research with marmosets, but the care and wellbeing of these amazing creatures. On August 1, 2019, she assumed the role of Colony Supervisor at Texas Biomedical Research Institute, making her the youngest supervisor in the institute. Her current duties put her in charge of executing all research projects, scheduling physical exams and monitoring colony health, and supervising the husbandry staff for the largest colony of marmosets in the country. Jess has an incredible opportunity to work alongside some of the world’s leading researchers in areas as wide-spread as aging, nutrition, neuroscience, and infectious diseases. She feels it is her duty to make sure that the animals are given the best care while they help push our scientific knowledge in these areas.