About me
Pronouns: she/her
I grew up in Virginia and have lived in New York City; Chicago; Portland, Oregon; and Boston. I have a lot of different interests, but they are grounded in understanding the structural and cultural contexts affecting stress and healing from the individual to population level. I want to identify where and how we can intervene to create meaningful change. This website is a way to highlight the projects I’m currently working on. I do not yet have a lab in an academic medical center, but that’s the dream.
I am a first year resident in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Program and am part of the Physician Scientist Training Program. I am a graduate of the Medical Scientist Training Program at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). My PhD is in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience and my dissertation focused on the effects of stress during pregnancy on offspring neurodevelopment and the intergenerational transmission of childhood maltreatment. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University with a second major in Psychology and a minor in Applied Theatre.
During medical school, I served as the national Student President of the American Medical Women’s Association, a Vice Chair on the Policy Committee of the American Physician Scientists Association, and a co-Director of the Research & Analytics Committee of the Medical Student Pride Alliance. I was a GLMA Health Professional in Training Fellow, Society for Neuroscience Early Career Policy Ambassador, Mirzayan Fellow, and medical student representative to the American Medical Association’s Advisory Committee on LGBTQ Issues. Currently, I am a trainee representative on the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee, and the Medical Student and Residents Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Following residency, I plan to complete a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry.
I love to read and nurture indoor plants. I love theatre and photography. I have a wonderful cat named Korra who is a source of joy. I love to travel and learn about history, culture, and art.
Research
I am interested in the mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of trauma-related symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), evaluating interventions targeting those mechanisms, and advocating for changes in clinical practice and service systems to prevent or mitigate the long-term and intergenerational effects of traumatic stress and adversity. I am also interested in the intersection of trauma and systems of oppression. I intend to pursue policy and advocacy work that is responsive to the science, culture, and structural issues relevant to trauma and resilience. My research focuses on the study of traumatic stress and adversity using behavioral, psychological, and imaging modalities.