I am a nurse scientist with the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders team at the OHSU Neurology Clinic. I don't practice clinically but conduct quality improvement projects and research in movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Huntington's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

I am a nurse with a Ph.D, which means I am a scientist with a nursing background. I have had the privilege of working with patients and families with various chronic illnesses for over a decade. My research focuses on improving or maintaining quality of life for patients and their families through social-behavioral interventions. This includes reducing the burden of family caregivers, improving patient-family relationships and increasing communication about future care planning earlier in the disease trajectory.

My professional and personal experiences in medical care have been the main drivers for my research. I have been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Foundations such as the American Nurses Foundation. I am completing a career development award through NIH titled "Preparing patient-caregiver dyads with Parkinson's disease for end-of-life decision-making."

Often, patients and families make important care decisions urgently without time to prepare. My goal is to help patients and their families live well, including being prepared for future care decisions. It brings me great joy to see my research positively impacting the lives of patients and families.

Outside work, I enjoy spending time with my family, finding great restaurants and hiking.