My research is broadly focused on understanding how interactions between the physical microenvironment, cellular energy transformations, and stochastic control systems inform the emergent properties of cells and cell collectives. My integrative backgrounds in physiology and physical biochemistry have afforded me the flexibility to pursue relevant problems in a variety of translational research contexts. My current and future work aims to solve basic and applied problems in animal fertility and the biology of reproduction. ECU Website 

I come from a small town in Sampson County, NC, and I am currently a student in the IDPBBC Biology Concentration program. My professional aspirations are geared towards a career in the industry, with a particular focus on the development and application of computer algorithms, computational models, and statistical methods for the analysis and simulation of biological systems. The interdisciplinary nature of my program allows me the unique chance to integrate fields like biology and computer science into a customized project, facilitated by an interdisciplinary team of mentors.

I am from a small town in Wilkes County, North Carolina where I did dual enrollment during high school and graduated with an associate degree in science. I graduated from ECU with a B.S. in Biochemistry in 2025. I chose to study biochemistry because I am interested in the chemical processes in living organisms and studying this will prepare me for work in the embryology field which I plan to pursue after completing my Master's degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (planned graduation in 2027).

We may have training opportunities for interested students to come learn with us and get involved in our research. We also look for ways to provide research experiences for students who don't have the time or capability to be physically present in the lab by offering remote training opportunities focused on computationally intensive projects (no previous computation skills required). Interested students can inquire by sending a Curriculum Vitae (CV) to schmidtc18@ecu.edu.