disability equity and inclusion advocacy and research
Advocating for equitable access to education, accommodations for students with disabilities. Research into access to clinical trials, and medical care for pediatric oncology patients and families.
Post-Mortem Brain tumor tissue donation REsearch
Clinical research into an effective, collaborative multi-institutional program to ensure that every patient can donate brain tumor tissue to advance research.
Patient care & Scientific Communication
Helping patient families navigate the complicated landscape of medical treatment, clinical trial research, and understanding the process of translating basic science from bench to bedside.
A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ME
I’ve always wanted to be a physician but going through two renal transplants has influenced the type of physician I’m committed to becoming. I am able to bridge the gap between the lab, clinic, and the true patient experience, streamlining the process of new discoveries impacting the care of patients.
Scientific Communication
After two renal transplants with someone lucky enough to have a medical background, I’ve been able to identify places that need improvement when communicating the science of treatments to patients. This inspired my research into how scientific literacy impacts decisions about clinical trial participation in pediatric neuro-oncology as well as my development of the Brain Tumor 101 series.
neuroscience education
I read the story of Phineas Gage when I was 6 and have been learning everything possible about neuroscience since that moment. My non-traditional education experience has allowed me to take an extensive amount of elective neuroscience courses, ranging from the impacts of stress on cognition to neurogenetics. I am passionate about Cancer Neuroscience and how the brain and tumor influence each other
dipg
My research is primarily focused on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an inoperable brainstem glioma impacting children with no effective treatment. Families often choose clinical trials as their treatment course, working with dedicated care teams to find the best trial match. As a future a clinician scientist, the 20:80% time split between patients and the lab means that I need to be spending 80% of my time to learn this complex disease, efficiently, translate findings from bench to bedside, and ultimately improve care options for patients. Medicine starts and ends with patients.
scientific collaboration
Research works best with collaboration between clinicians, scientists AND patients. Working with Gift From A Child, I’ve been able to see how a successful post-mortem brain tumor tissue donation program has not only provided the tissue necessary for basic scientific research to advance, but allows patient families to continue their involvement in the pediatric brain tumor community. These families are able to see the tremendous impact their children are able to make in creating better care for future children.