Sasha Pazoki

Managed front desk operations and supported clinical procedures, including patient scheduling, insurance and billing tasks, chairside assistance, and instrument sterilization. Communicated with patients about treatment plans, post-operative instructions, and office policies.

• Assisted with dental procedures and prepared treatment rooms, following OSHA standards.
• Handled administrative tasks, including patient records, billing, and inventory management.

Worked alongside Dr. Shashi Karna to examine nanotechnology as a tool to enhance biomedical research. I created peptide capped gold nanoclusters, used TEM to determine the variation in sizes of these clusters, and used ANOVA to assess whether or not these nanoclusters would be viable for biomedical use.

• Developed hands on skills using laboratory techniques, analyzing data, and designing experiments.
• Gained interdisciplinary knowledge from integrating chemistry, biology, and translational research.

Served as a liaison between students and the Board of Education, ensuring student perspectives were represented in District-level policy, curriculum, and governance decisions. Advocated for educational equity, inclusivity, and student well-being while participating in board meetings, leadership retreats, and school visits.

• Contributed to policy development, curriculum decisions, and strategic planning, providing feedback grounded in student experiences.
• Advocated locally and at the State level for student interests, including education funding, equity initiatives, and inclusive school policies.

Focused on developing analytical methods to study buprenorphine pharmacokinetics in non-human primate models, supporting translational research in drug metabolism and dosing for human and veterinary applications.

• Prepared and extracted plasma samples, developed LC-MS/MS assays, and handled standards for opioid quantification.
• Gained hands-on experience in analytical instrumentation, data analysis, experimental design, and interdisciplinary research integrating chemistry and pharmacology.

Selected participant in a competitive, project-based program, collaborating remotely to investigate climate change using computational analysis of satellite imagery and predictive modeling.

• Processed satellite images and quantified Arctic sea ice using image analysis and computational methods.
• Built skills in data analysis, scientific computing, climate modeling, and interdisciplinary research.

Conducted and published an independent computational research project examining how color distance affects graphic readability for individuals with color vision deficiencies, improving accessibility in digital design.

• Analyzed image RGB data, modeled color contrast, and simulated colorblind perspectives.
• Developed skills in algorithmic thinking, data analysis, accessibility-focused design, and technical writing.