Vanessa earned her B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology from California State University, Northridge in 2019. She moved on to the University of Florida to complete her M.S. in Zoology in 2022 under Dr. David Julian, where she researched the effects of salinity stress and amputation on the growth and regeneration of the polychaete Capitella teleta. After completing her M.S., Vanessa joined an evolutionary genetics lab at the University of California, Berkeley led by Dr. Chris Martin to research the ecology, evolution, and genomics of adaptive radiation in pupfishes. In October of 2023, Vanessa joined the Jones lab. Outside of lab, she enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, rock climbing, and camping.