I received my BA in Neuroscience (a major formerly known as “Biological Basis of Behavior”) at the University of Pennsylvania. During my undergraduate studies, I worked in Dr. Russell Epstein’s lab, where we used fMRI to uncover human functional brain regions specialized in making complex navigational decisions. I went on to earn my MD and PhD in Neuroscience at UPenn, completing my thesis work in Dr. Peter Crino’s molecular biology lab, where we used in vitro and in vivo models to define the role of STRADA protein in excitatory neuronal migration and the development of a severe epileptic disorder known as PMSE, associated with STRADA loss. This work resulted in a pilot clinical study to treat patients suffering from PMSE using the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor rapamycin. I then completed my Neurosurgery residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical College, where I undertook an enfolded postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. M. Elizabeth Ross to create a platform for modeling the biological effects of genetic variants of uncertain significance (VUS) and defining the pathological consequences of NMDAR2 and STXBP1 mutations. After finishing residency, I completed a clinical fellowship in Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, ON. I’m lucky enough to have had some fantastic mentors throughout my research and clinical training.

When I’m (on rare occasion) not in lab or working at the hospital, I enjoy traveling, studying primate behavior, and hanging out with my family. I am lucky enough to have an amazing 3-year-old rascal of a daughter, who can occasionally be found attending my talks or “working” in my lab office.