Charlene received her B.S. in Animal Science from the University of California, Davis. She worked as a research technician for many years, first in the developmental biology of hearing with Dr. Takahiro Ohyama and then in pancreatic cancer research with Dr. Reginald Hill. Charlene joined the Voorhees lab in July 2021, taking on the role of lab manager, where she helps coordinate and facilitate the research and goals of the lab.