Dr. Dixon grew up in El Monte in Southern California where she lived with her mom, grandma and grandpa. She loved to play outside as a kid, taking things apart in her backyard with her dogs and rebuilding them as abstract art. She holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Michigan, and prior to her previous role as an Associate Scientist at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center (CEDAR), she was an OHSU Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion in Research (OFDIR) in the Microbiology and Immunology Department.

As a first-generation college student herself, Dr. Dixon works to advocate for support and inclusion of other aspiring scientists and health care professionals from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds in STEM. She is currently an Associate Scientist at the Oregon Clinical & Translational Research Institute (OCTRI)  and serves as a Co-Investigator, faculty lead, career mentor and research learning community (RLC) coordinator for the BUILD EXITO and URISE undergraduate research training programs at Portland State University. Additionally, Dr. Dixon serves as the Research Thread Director for the Wy'east Medicine Post-Baccalaureate Pathway. The focus of her work with Wy’east is to introduce future healers to the many different types of research that can be used to create knowledge and understanding of the health issues and inequities that affect our communities. She believes that through listening, collaboration and partnership between research scientists, health-care providers and public health experts, solutions that are actually relevant and beneficial for our communities can be developed.

When she’s not working, Dr. Dixon enjoys taking her mom and grandma on long drives around the PNW and loves singing Karaoke and playing board games with her partner, Tyler, and her two tuxedo kittens, Pepperoni and Juniper.