I am an MD-Ph.D. student studying the molecular nature of Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Dementia with Lewy bodies under mentorship from Dr. Vivek Unni, MD, Ph.D., and Andrew Emili, Ph.D. I grew up in La Grande, OR, where I developed a strong appreciation for the natural world and a deep passion for baseball. Following these, I attended Pacific University, in Forest Grove, OR, where I studied Biology while competing on the varsity baseball team all four years. During the summer before my senior year, I completed an internship at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, under mentorship from Harmit Malik, Ph.D., where I first learned that MD-PhD programs existed. Knowing that I could combine careers in medicine and scientific research with this path, I sought out further research and clinical training and moved to New Haven, CT, where I joined the lab of Daniel Colón-Ramos at Yale School of Medicine to study the cell biology of the synapse. My time in the Colón-Ramos Lab and volunteering at Yale New Haven Hospital affirmed my desire to have a career at the intersection of medicine and research. I was fortunate to matriculate into the MSTP program at Oregon Health & Science University in 2021, where I have been able to have outstanding training in his research and clinical interests while living close to family.  

Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease are the two most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, with little to no treatments available to halt their progression. Having family members and friends afflicted with these diseases, and from my countless clinic visits with patients both before and during medical school, I am motivated to understand the basic biology that drives these conditions, and how to translate this into curative and preventative treatments.  

Research interests: neuroscience (neurobiological diseases, synapse biology, plasticity, engineered synapses, behavior).

Clinical interests: neurology and psychiatry