Noelle graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry in 2021. During her time there, she worked on an undergraduate thesis project studying the role of lipid metabolism on the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro in the lab of Dr. Gregory Ducker. This project introduced her to the use of mass spectrometry as an exciting and powerful tool to study lipid metabolism. Wanting to learn more about the diverse roles of lipid metabolism in human health, she joined the Xu lab as a Ph.D. student in Medicinal Chemistry. Since joining the lab in 2022, Noelle has been working on understanding the role of lipid peroxidation in ferroptosis using mass spectrometry and other analytical tools. Outside the lab, you can find Noelle cycling, skiing, or hiking somewhere in the beautiful Cascade mountains.